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Residents urge changes to rec-center schedule; organizer touts Christmas Stroll attendance
Summary
During public comments residents complained the Orange Recreation Center walking program remains scheduled at an inconvenient time; the rec center director presented a 2025 events calendar and an organizer reported large attendance for recent Christmas Stroll events.
Several residents used the public-comment period at the Jan. 14 city council meeting to raise issues with the Orange Recreation Center and to promote upcoming community events.
Concerns about the rec center walking program Clara Booker, a resident of 1212 J Way Street, said she returned to council after an earlier appearance in November to object to a change in the rec center’s walking-group time. Booker said the posted time remains 11:00 a.m., which she and others find inconvenient, and that some patrons reported that a rec-center staff member told them the time would not be changed. Booker said she and others have begun walking city streets and taking photographs of areas needing cleanup or repair.
Rec center presentation and calendar The council received a presentation of the 2025 Recreation Center calendar from Miss Lister (rec-center presenter/staff). Lister said gym attendance has increased and listed planned 2025 events including tournaments, an Easter egg hunt (April 18), summer youth sports camp (May 27–June 27), a coed pickleball tournament and other seasonal competitions. Lister said recent programming has attracted more residents and nonresidents and asked council for continued support.
Event-organizer report Angie Mason, speaking on behalf of the organizer for the 2024 Christmas Stroll, reported large attendance numbers: over 45,000 people in December for the strolls and more than 117,000 visitors to Shangri La over the year. Mason said the foundation spends more than $250,000 annually on the event, cited volunteer and staff-hour totals and thanked the council for approving a new exit sidewalk that improved crowd flow. Mason said the event extended a sensory-friendly opening hour and provided emergency medical staffing and police officers each night.
Other public notices Margaret Adams announced a Delta Sigma Theta Founders Day event on Feb. 1 at Mount Olive Christian Life Center that she expected to draw about 250 attendees. Reverend John Jefferson of the Orange NAACP invited council and staff to participate in the 2025 NAACP Martin Luther King Jr. march, scheduled to begin at the courthouse at 9:30 a.m. on Jan. 20 with a march to Mount Olive and a short program.
What the council said A council member acknowledged that budget and scheduling constraints sometimes limit immediate changes to rec-center programs and thanked staff and volunteers. Staff accepted the concerns and noted that operational or budget changes must follow city processes.
