Pittsboro, NC – “We have a lot of news on several fronts to report from Chatham County Parks & Recreation,” according Tracy Burnett, who leads the department. “This is quite a busy time with facility enhancements underway, a master plan almost finished and several new programs introduced for various ages.”
Burnett said that the final version of the long-range Comprehensive Master Plan for Parks, Recreation, Greenways and Blueways (waterways) will be presented to the Board of Commissioners on February 18. “We are so thankful for all the residents who took the time to provide input throughout the nearly year-long planning process. The resulting plan will be our roadmap for the next few years.”
As to facilities, Burnett said that the construction of new facilities at the Park at Briar Chapel is underway thanks to a state grant from Park and Recreation Trust Fund (PARTF). “We expect the playground to be finished late spring and the shelter completed early summer. We then will begin construction of a walking trail throughout the park this summer.”
Burnett said that department is pursuing grant funding for Southwest Park, located near Chatham Central High School, which would provide space for outdoor programs. “Stay tuned for more details on this.”
Several new instructional programs have been announced. For young people, they have added Intro to Art by Ginny classes for arts classes (grades 1 to 6), Jump Rope by JumPro (ages 6 to 14), and youth volleyball clinics (ages 9 to 14). The volleyball clinics will be offered at Horton Middle School and Chatham Central High School. A new adult series is Dance2Fit with Marcie. Most of the new classes are offered starting early March and most have limited slots.
Burnett said that several athletic programs are open for spring enrollment, including t-ball, youth softball, youth track and field, adult basketball and adult co-ed softball. More details on programs can be found at www.chathamnc.org/parksandrecreation. Look for the link at the top of the page for the Spring 2019 Flyer.
People can register online at recreation.chathamnc.org or stop by the Parks & Recreation Office at 964 East St., Suite 100, Pittsboro. Note that this is a new location in the space previously occupied by the YMCA.