Mayor's Community Update - 04/19/2019
Greetings! As we inch closer to summer and warmer weather, I wanted to overview the work happening through our Parks & Recreation Department. Rachel Kaminski is our Recreation Program Director. Each year, we see increasing attendance at our Senior Center. If you’ve been following our work on aging in place, you’ll know that our community, like most Wisconsin communities, is growing older and as baby boomers retire we’ll have a higher percentage of older adults living here. The Senior Center provides a place to individuals to connect, stay active and combat social isolation which can be associated with significant health decline over time. Wellness is one of the areas Rachel focuses on in her work. On a daily basis you’ll find yoga or fitness classes being offered as well as fun activities like cards, pool or bingo. Additionally, the Center hosts various learning events and over the course of the last year became a dementia-certified site. Rachel’s goal is to provide training that helps our community prepare and support those living with dementia. Her latest training incorporates new simulation tools we received through our aging in place work with the UW School of Nursing and I encourage you to check that out. As use of this facility expands, we’re quickly outgrowing our space. As I’ve previously written about, we have a facilities advisory committee that is working to review a facility study conducted in 2018 to determine a solution to expand the senior center and address accessibility needs.
The Parks & Recreation Department is also responsible for running our summer park programming. With parents working, summer school expanding, and concern for ongoing safety, we’ve been working to adapt our park programming to reflect the changing needs of our community. This year, park programs will be operated at Dodge, Pine Street, West End and Wilcox Parks throughout the summer. Each Friday look for new opportunities for youth to engage, learn and grow through expanded field trips and special events that include things like Marsh Haven Earth Camp, an Archery Shoot, and a Sports Camp to name a few. We hope that some of these changes are exciting for your children and work to better meet your needs.
Around town, yard waste collection continues the week of April 22. Online registration opened this week for the Waupun Aquatic Center. Pool passes and swim lessons may be purchased online at www.theydc.org. Note that you can save $5 if you purchase your summer pool pass before April 26. Finally, don’t miss Waupun Festivals evening of comedy improv on Saturday, April 27, 2019, featuring “Direct from Chicago” The Second City Comedy troupe. More information can be found about all of these things online. I hope to see you around town!
