Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Recreation Programs And Parks topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Atkinson Recreation Commission reviews programs, field repairs and budget on Jan. 15
Summary
At its Jan. 15 meeting, the Atkinson Recreation Commission approved December minutes, heard conference takeaways, reviewed upcoming programs and registrations, confirmed a $5,000 donation was sent to AYBS for dugout work, and tabled baseball-field maintenance until February.
The Atkinson Recreation Commission met Jan. 15, 2026, at the Atkinson Community Center. Chairman Cris called the meeting to order at 7:01 p.m. and the commission approved the December meeting minutes "as written."
Staff member Noriko reported on workshops she attended at the Northern New England Recreation and Park Conference (Attitash, N.H., Jan. 13–15), highlighting information on the Land and Water Conservation Fund Grant, tips for summer staff training, senior programming and new playground vendor contacts.
The commission reviewed upcoming programs and current registration levels: an umpire clinic set for Jan. 20 (snow date Jan. 22) with eight registered and a goal of 10; a Tai Chi winter session starting Jan. 20 with six registered and a 10-person minimum; a new adult karate class beginning Jan. 26 with no registrants yet; a Senior Luncheon Jan. 30 with about 20 RSVPs but expectations of more than 70 and preparations to cook for 80; and a Winter Paint Party Feb. 11 priced at $20 per person with two registrations and a hoped-for minimum of 10.
On parks and fields, the minutes record that the Baseball Field 1 dugout replacement project is moving forward and note that the Recreation Commission’s $5,000 donation has been sent to AYBS to support the work. The commission discussed opening baseball fields for Spring 2026 and the possibility of a new contractor for field maintenance but chose to table that decision until the February meeting. Town DPW crews removed shrubs by the playground fence as part of ground-improvement and playground-system replacement preparations.
The commission also discussed communications with local sports leagues and suggested appointing a league liaison, but took no final action; Noriko was asked to draft a donation-drive letter. Planning for Atkinson Day 2026 (Sept. 12; rain date Sept. 13) was raised, including outreach related to America’s 250th anniversary, and Noriko will contact local groups to seek support and a chairperson for the event.
On budget matters, the minutes note some remaining funds in Programs and Maintenance lines were used to purchase plastic bubble topping for playground and baseball-field fences. The minutes state that Noriko received a raise; to keep the overall budget increase below 10 percent, other lines were held or reduced. The commission noted the town’s deliberative session scheduled for Jan. 31 at Atkinson Academy at 10 a.m.
Under new business the commission discussed seeking grant funding to support a CIP and master plan rather than financing it from the operating budget; a potential recreation logo contest and a proposed women's self-defense clinic were mentioned with no developments recorded. The commission set its next meeting for Thursday, Feb. 19 at 7:00 p.m. at the Atkinson Community Center.
