Sign of spring: Summer rec camp sign-ups, hiring get underway
February 26, 2021 | By Jesse McDougall
Summer rec camp 2020 navigated COVID-19 protocols, Main Street construction and no public pool. File photo by Gordon Miller
Waterbury summer recreation camps are a summer tradition and 2021 will be no different. Waterbury Recreation and the YMCA’s Camp Koda are planning to operate in Waterbury for eight weeks from mid-June until early August.
Camp Koda will be stationed at Thatcher Brook Primary School, the camp’s usual spot. Last year public schools were not available for summer programs, so Camp Koda was called off. Waterbury Rec will be spread over three locations around town. Like last summer, COVID-19 precautions will be implemented for camper safety, but with the public pool open and a new van available to the Waterbury Recreation department, organizers are better prepared for the summer season.
YMCA registration is currently open and Waterbury Rec’s online sign-up at waterburyrec.com opens at 8 a.m. on Tuesday, March 2. Both camps will run from June 21 through Aug. 13.
Waterbury Recreation Director Nick Nadeau explained that like last summer, campers will be divided by age into three locations to meet COVID guidelines and manage any virus cases that might occur.
However all campers will take day trips to the Waterbury Reservoir, the town pool, or local hiking trails. Nadeau said there are 130 camper spots available: 30 kindergarten-age at Anderson Recreational Building, 60 first-through-third-graders at St. Leo’s Hall, and 40 fourth-through-seventh-graders at the Wesley United Methodist Church. All three locations were used for rec camp in summer 2020.
A new van for the Rec Department will be a plus for camp this summer. The town budget allows for $27,500 to spend on the vehicle that includes a $10,000 grant Nadeau secured from Albertsons, the parent company to Shaw’s Supermarkets grocery chain. The plan is to purchase a slightly used 15-person van with low mileage. If well-maintained, Nadeau hopes it will last Waterbury Rec until the end of the decade. Previously, Waterbury Rec rented a van for limited hiking and fishing excursions. The purchase would be a longer-term investment for use year-round.
Due to the increase in minimum wage and other operational expenses, Nadeau predicts an increase in summer recreation camp fees next year. However, 2021 will see prices remain the same as 2020: The eight-week resident and non-resident fees are $725 and $800 respectively; limited one-week spots for residents and non-residents are priced at $175 and $200 respectively. Camp hours are 7:30 a.m. to 5 p.m.
“In this economic climate I don’t think parents can afford an increase in programming fees,” he said, “and I didn’t feel that an increase was right given the current situation.”
Nadeau reminds parents to check that their account information on the recreation website is up to date before the registration opens. Last year the entire program sold out within minutes of registration going live.
Camp Koda will operate 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. during the same timeframe this summer with campers attending either three or five days a week. Registration is by the week with the YMCA’s three-day cost at $175; the five-day price is $231. Camp Koda enrolls kids from kindergarten to age 12.
Vicky McCafferty at the YMCA noted that there is some financial assistance available for qualifying families through either state subsidy or Y scholarships. More information is online at gbymca.org under youth programs and summer camps.
Despite the last-minute planning and adjustments needed to bring Waterbury Rec to fruition in 2020, campers and parents gave good reviews, especially considering the important role the camp plays in the schedules of parents over the summer.
Last August another camp called The Waterbury Rec Academy was created by Waterbury Rec to accommodate kindergarten to grade 5 students during new remote learning days in the public school schedule. Wifi at the Anderson Field Rec building came in handy as students were able to log onto their school laptops to work on assignments with camp counselors nearby to supervise and get the youngsters outside for breaks in the park.
Some clouds make shade for 2020 summer recreation campers at the State Office Complex. File photo by Gordon Miller.
Multiple parents have voiced their thanks for the efforts made to keep Waterbury Rec going in 2020. Meredith Pelkey said the camp offered children a sense of normalcy following an isolating period of lockdown. “The kids needed a chance to be kids, so Nick and the other counselors created many fun activities in parts of the community that had little exposure before,” she said. “The laughter I heard driving through town was such a refreshing sound after lockdown, and the town came alive again.”
Waterbury resident Jeremy Ayers said that Waterbury Rec camps and the new Rec Academy provided great community support to their family. “We have found the director and staff to be caring and supportive to our children, and our boys always enjoy going to Rec,” he said.
Although Nadeau improvised a highly-praised slip and slide on the hillside at Dac Rowe Park last summer, he is glad that the pool will be open this summer to give kids and their families another outdoor activity. Plans do not include weekend public swimming time, but Nadeau said he plans to make the pool available for rent. “Small group rentals will be available for birthday parties and other gatherings,” he said.
Nadeau told the select board that he planned for this summer’s program to be structured much like 2020 with maximum COVID-19 precautions in place. And while there are no guarantees about how this summer will play out, progress with the vaccine and declining cases offer hope for plans to go smoothly. Because both the Waterbury Rec Academy and schools themselves have spent months operating with programming to fit COVID guidelines, there is less uncertainty about the logistics of summer recreation.
In addition to opening registration for campers March 2, Nadeau is also taking applications to fill summer staff positions for lifeguards and swim instructors, camp counselors, and even a summer intern. Details on those positions are on the Recreation Department home page.
Some parents are looking forward to summer rec as much as their kids and appreciate the work behind the planning. “Nick Nadeau has changed many lives since becoming the recreational director in our community,” said Pelkey. “I’m not sure I can express my gratitude for the recreation services the town provides.”
While presenting his summer programming plans and budget to the Waterbury Select Board on Jan. 4, Nadeau received praise from town officials for managing the unexpected circumstances in 2020 due to COVID-19. “Nick, I think you’ve done a phenomenal job,” board member Mike Bard said during the budget worksession. “The rec program could have been in real chaos if you didn’t provide a lot of leadership.”
Board member Chris Viens had a more colorful way of putting it. “Throughout this COVID thing, Nick’s kind of been like the guy running with a bear right on his butt and he’s managed to move to the left and right every time the bear swipes. And I commend you for that,” Viens said.
More information for Waterbury Summer Rec is online at waterburyrec.com. Email Nadeau at recreation@waterburyvt.com or Day Camp Director, Wyatt O'Brien, daycamp@waterburyvt.com. Camp Koda information is online on the Greater Burlington YMCA website.