News: 2021 Morristown Parks & Recreation Committee Annual Report

Although life in 2021 has continued to be part of this “new normal,” the Parks & Recreation Committee has met the challenge and has been busy planning safe and creative ways for our community to recreate in these unusual times. 

Morristown Parks & Recreation Committee
In 2019 the Town of Morristown resurrected the Parks and Recreation Committee that was originally formed in 1949.  The purpose of the Committee is to develop a wide variety of recreation programs, park facilities, and services to meet the total needs of the residents of the community and to increase awareness of the many existing recreational assets and events happening in the greater Morristown community. The Committee partners with community members and organizations to promote, encourage, and communicate regarding existing recreational activities in Morristown.

Morristown has an online recreation management software program; you can learn more about it online at: morristownvt.myrec.com. Click on the new account link to create your household account and gain access to program registrations. Be sure to then add all the members of your household into the account and please don’t forget to enter your email and cell phone number with the carrier so we can contact you with any last-minutes changes. Your new household account will provide you with registration history, financials and much more. This is where you can now register your children for the Morristown Summer Recreation Camp Program, download tax deductible receipts, and check out recreational events happening in town. We look forward to expanding this online program and enjoying the enhanced registration experience with you.

Although the Morristown Summer Recreation Camp program was unable to operate in 2021, the Parks & Recreation Committee curated and collaborated on monthly recreational activities and co-sponsored and promoted numerous additional recreation ideas and locations around Morristown. The #MoRec campaign, launched by interns in the summer of 2020, along with the revamp of the Committee’s Facebook and Instagram accounts, has increased our digital presence around town and beyond. These digital locations along with postings on Front Porch Forum provide a great foundation for advertising and inspiring recreation opportunities and seeking ongoing community input.  We encourage anyone to share your photos, sense of adventure, and positive thoughts to help inspire #MoRec in our community!
Despite our circumstances, and led by an all-volunteer board, we have been busy this year. We installed some fun exercise ellipticals near the dog park that you can enjoy on your own or with a friend. We offered an Art & History Tour through downtown and a mushroom foraging adventure in our great forests. We talked about Bike Safety in May and searched for bugs along the Lamoille. We have hosted events at our dog park across from the library that celebrated its one-year anniversary. Parks & Rec hosted a cooking class with a professional chef and his son that allowed folks to break bread, learn, and chat together. We collaborated with the Morristown Centennial Library to put together bird watching kits that can be checked out for free and to go on a snowshoeing adventure on the Rail Trail. And our work with the Lamoille County Star Gazers brought a new telescope into the mix for town residents and others to use on a clear night. At Festival of Lights, we partnered with MACC to decorate snowflakes for the season. Perhaps you stopped by our booth at RocktoberFest in September? You would have found information about recreational events, smiling faces, a suggestion box, and free dog treats to highlight our dog park.

The Parks & Recreation Committee continues to work on ways to improve our wonderful Oxbow Park.  Despite COVID, Wednesday Night Live ran at the Oxbow for ten weeks this summer to share smiles, music, and community with those able to attend. Don’t forget to stop off at the Oxbow. You’re never too young or old to enjoy the swings and basketball court or search out one of the whimsical painted hopscotch stencils around downtown for some impromptu childhood nostalgia while running an errand or an intentional adventure with the kiddos. And Parks & Recreation worked with the Village to provide lights for the basketball court at Oxbow Park which now allows nighttime hoops.

Do you want to be involved in the future of recreation in Morristown? There are lots of great free activities in our community to get your family and friends together and enjoy the outdoors.  The seven-member committee meets on the second Thursday of each month from 6:00 to 7:00 p.m. in the municipal building at 43 Portland Street or virtually using Zoom. We can always use an extra hand and fresh ideas and we welcome you to join us moving forward to meet the town’s recreation needs and become a part of the committee. Questions or suggestions for Morristown Parks & Rec? Email us at parksandrec@morristownvt.org.

Parks & Recreation Committee Members
Judy Bickford, Ray Boutin, Sara Haskins, Steph Hoffman, Alison Link, Kasey Longe, and Kristi McAllister.