Local News – Thursday, September 28th, 2017

The City of Salem Park and Recreation Board met Tuesday night at the City Administrative Offices. After the roll call and agenda were approved, the board went into closed session to hear three presentations from pool companies on repairing and updating the Alice Lou Craig Municipal Swimming Pool at the Salem City Park. Each company was given 30 minutes to discuss their company and explain to the board what they would do to renovate and improve the pool. No votes were taken in closed session. Upon returning to open session, the board announced they would be meeting tonight at 6:00 at the Salem Community Center@The Armory in a Special Meeting to choose the company they would like to recommend to the Salem Board of Aldermen they would like to begin negotiations with. That meeting will be a closed session meeting until a vote is taken. Other business in open session will be heard following the vote if needed. Tuesday night, Salem Parks and Recreation Director Tye Lydon reported there was a total of 114 kids signed up for flag football this season compared to 90 last year which is an increase of 27%. There are four 1st and 2nd grade teams and five 3rd-6th grade teams. Games will begin October 7th and run the entire month of October being played on Saturdays starting at 9:00 AM at the Al Brown multipurpose field. Lydon said youth basketball will be offered again this year starting after the flag football comes to an end. This program is for children 3-12 years of age and the cost is $25 per child. All games will be played at the Salem High School gym on Saturdays starting December 2nd. He also said adult basketball would be offered again this year for $300 per team. This league will be played on Sundays at either the upper elementary or at the High School depending upon gym availability. Lydon went over a number of improvements made in the Salem Park System and they included new trash dispensers, new picnic tables at all parks, the Teeter-totter was fixed and painted, and the swing was repaired at Midyett Park, five new benches have been built and installed at the tennis courts courtesy of the American Volunteers, the basketball court was painted Carolina Blue with help from the American Volunteers and the city will be adding the basketball markings, and the main pavilion has been painted and the fireplace cleaned along with the dedication placard. Lydon said the restrooms in the city park have new paper towel dispensers, new soap dispensers, new faucets and a new handrail installed behind toilets. The stall dividers have been removed for handicapped accessibility, workers will soon hang vinyl wall covering and new louvered bathrooms doors are on the way as well as an exhaust system. Since the bathrooms were vandalized, cameras are to be installed at park outside of restrooms and by the concession stand. Lydon also said the new splash pad for the city park will be installed on April 16th, 2018. Salem Park Board President Stan Podorski thanked the park board members, City Administrator Ray Walden and the alderman who attended the Grand Opening of the All-Accessible Playground at the city park called “Billy’s Playground in honor of Carol Perdue.” He said it was a great success and the playground has been filled with children ever since. Podorski said the handicapped ramp and stairway at the Al Brown Field from the parking lot to the field has been designed and approved and is waiting to be built. It may happen this fall but will be done by next Spring. He also reported that he and Tye Lydon measured out two full size soccer fields and marked them with flags at the property on Highway 19 south. Dirt work out there probably will not start until next year after a line of trees and a fence have been removed. Podorski said that Todd Kinerk brought an idea to him about the creation of an ATV trail in the wooded area by the Masters Industrial Park. He said some of that timber needs to be harvested and that could actually pay for a trail to be built. With no other information at this time, he said he just wanted to make the board aware of the conversation. Park Board member Kyle Williams brought to the board a request to make an improvement to the skateboard park at the City Park called a manual concrete box. He said he would try to bring a diagram to the next meeting. The meeting was then adjourned. The next Park Board meeting will be tonight at 6:00 at the Salem Community Center@The Armory and after a closed session, the meeting will be open to the public.