Vi ll a g e o f F le i s c h m a n n s

Volume 2, Issue 4 April 2013

P ARK C OMMITTEE N EWS

LET THE SOCCER GAMES BEGIN
Larger schools may have football as their star sport they can keep it. Ill take soccer over football any day! Statistically, football is more high risk and has been shown to cause many injuries that could lead to lifelong problems and suffering. While there is definitely some contact in soccer, it is more a game of finesse than brute force. All sport teams whether football, soccer or baseball need a home and the Fleischmanns Park is home to quite a few well loved teams, one of which is the Catskill Mountain Youth Pee Wee Soccer team. This month co-head coaches Lanore Miller and Beth Johnson submitted to the village board their request to use the park on Mondays and Thursdays from 5 pm to 7:45 pm. Although the park is not yet fully functional the village trustees were delighted that at least a portion of the park was back in play. As for coaches Miller and Johnson, they are happy to bring all those smiling faces back home to the Fleischmanns Park, and we are just as happy to welcome you!

A community committed to building strong bodies and minds for the future.
Park components: Soccer Field Tennis Courts Playground Bathrooms Baseball Field Basketball Court Pavilion Waterfront Access
Adult Fitness Stations

WE NEED YOU!
While it may be taking forever to hear back from FEMA regarding our appeal for the park project, we have not given up hope. On the contrary, we are planning for success! With so much attention on fundraising for the playground, we cannot forget about the powerful impact a person can have just by volunteering one day to a good cause. One of our biggest cost saving factors in the playground budget is the incorporation of a community build day where members of our extended community come out to help us build our playground. It has been estimated that this could save the village close to $30,000. In essence would enable us to purchase all the great components that make a playground more fun and truly inspiring. Heres how it works: the playground company that wins the bid will send out their crew (most often on a Friday to accommodate the volunteers for a Saturday build day) to work the first day to set up the framework and keystone pieces. The second day they would supervise the community members who come out to build the rest of the structure. The poured in place rubber surfacing would be done after that by a separate company. We have been advised that it would take 4050 volunteers to make this happen in one day. If we only have 10 people show up those 10 people will stay until midnight to get the job done. Not everyone has to stay all day, as a matter of fact staggered shifts work better as it is hard to get 40 people going on a task at the same time. We would also need people to donate food and serve lunch and snacks to the volunteers. As you can see this will be a real good will, camaraderie building community event, but will take a massive coordination effort. We are asking that interested parties email thefleischmannsplaygroundproject@yahoo. com. Look for updates next month or you can follow us on Facebook.

Jogging Path

HOW TO DONATE
The Village of Fleischmanns has three escrow accounts specifically designated for the Fleischmanns Park. Village of Fleischmanns Playground Escrow Fund Village of Fleischmanns Tennis Courts Escrow Fund Village of Fleischmanns Park Escrow Fund Checks may be mailed to: The Village of Fleischmanns PO Box 339 Fleischmanns, NY 12430 The MARK Project has a PayPal link on their website: www.markproject.org Please be sure to earmark your donation for the Fleischmanns Playground, Tennis Courts or Park!

Park Committee News

Page 2

T E N N I S U PDA T E
In tandem with the awakening bear population aggressively seeking to replenish their food deprived winter hiatus, we emerge from cabin fever season, eager to savor the sensory markers and lure of spring. We inhale the heady perfume of hyacinths, note the dwindling ribbons of snow on Belleayres trails, observe the robins exerting territorial claims on grass sparse patches of worm rich soil. These anticipated rites which signal natures ineluctable processthe succession of spring following winter, unfortunately do not signify accompanying individual rights. Like deserving children with holiday visions of sugar plums, village inhabitants have been patient, diligently working toward attaining their just duethe inalienable right to the pursuit of happiness. They have toiled, cajoled, solicited, committed time energy and money expecting that the park from which we have been dispossessed would be operational, accessible for the enjoyment of health promoting recreational activities. Instead we are stuck in a time and motion limbo with no visible positive change in status. The summer of 2012 is morphing into the summer of 2013. Unlike deserving children, we may not reap the rewards that collectively we have worked so hard to obtain. To be deprived of the playground, tennis courts and ball field for another summer would be intolerable, and unacceptable. We the people continue to be held hostage by uncaring beaurocratic ineptitude; collateral damage of a confederacy of dunces. The road to recovery should have been straightforward. Instead, getting from A to B has become an obstacle course, a minefield strewn with stumbling blocksour crucible. And although political pressure has been exerted from Congressman Chris Gibson and Senator Kirsten Gillibrand for FEMA to expedite the review decision and funding allocation, to date nothing has been done. Shifting mental gears from the almost daily frustrated contemplation of the negative reality in which we are mired, reflecting on the positive features that have characterized the past six months is a pleasant, therapeutic endeavor. Contributions to the second appeal letter and flyer that were mailed two weeks ago have been trickling in slowly but gratifyingly. To date $22,160 toward the $50,000 matching fund grant opportunity has been received from 53 respondees. Kudos to Eric Weidermeyer at Coldwell Banker Realty for being a pioneer-the first local businessman to demonstrate via donating to the court project the importance of the parks restoration for the economic vitality of the community. A special thanks to Tom Steiglehner. In 1979 he competed in his first Fleischmanns Open, defeated the top seeds and became the reigning champion at age 12. Subsequently he played with and against many tournament stars including Kingdon Gould, Gary Stone and Mark Birman and added numerous singles and doubles titles to his personal best roster. Tommys generous donation was greatly appreciated. However, even more uplifting was the accompanying note in which he stated that playing at the Fleischmanns courts with the regulars was a transformative experience that helped shaped the person he has become. Testimonials that underscore the lifelong benefits that accrue from athletic activities and exposure to the sportsmanship and camaraderie of peers are truly inspirational. A short but succinct wish list for the merry merry month of May: 1. Approval by FEMA for the full scope of work requested in the village appeal with sufficient funds for implementation. 2. Engineers plans completed and offered for bidding. 3. Chosen contractors begin work. 4. Court complex and other park amenities at least semicompleted by July 1st. These are not unreasonable hopes and expectations, if we are fortunate and become untangled from the red tape and cyclical loops that have bound us for too long, then perhaps the ribbon cutting, court rededication ceremony as originally planned can take place. (Details to be shared in next months newsletter.) Lets all wish together. Perhaps power of the people will prevail!

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