Volunteers press Northfield board for action on Memorial Park maintenance, bleachers and a winter rink

Local volunteers used the Selectboard forum to press for a clearer plan to maintain Memorial Park’s fields, bleachers and a seasonal skating rink.

Tyler Demas described neglected bleachers and the absence of spectator bathrooms, saying volunteers stepped in to restore playing fields and would welcome clearer responsibility from town and school officials: “I don't know who to contact, who… what the school's responsible for, what the town's responsible for,” he said (Tyler Demas).

Another volunteer said he had secured funds and equipment from the Barry Smart Foundation and local donors, and was installing a water line that—if completed—would support a grant application to keep a rink open from November through March. He asked the board for signage, barricades or benches and urged preventative maintenance over costly repairs later.

Board members urged organizers to form a recreation board and to submit three or four prioritized maintenance items to the town manager for inclusion in the upcoming budget. “Submit a list to Jeff that you think are top 3 or 4 things that should be addressed,” a Selectboard member advised (Speaker 5), adding that money exists in the recreation budget but the connection between volunteers and execution had been the missing link.

The board also discussed temporary bleachers and the possibility of improved signage and cameras to protect facilities from vandalism. No formal funding decision was made at the meeting; the board agreed to consider volunteer priorities during budget deliberations and to help with timing and coordination.