Overview:
The Open Space Recreation and Review Committee in Athol is planning this year’s “Our Waters” event at Silver Lake Park, scheduled for June 27 with a rain date of June 28. The event will include outdoor activities and demonstrations, with local groups and food vendors participating throughout the day. The Athol Area YMCA is considering setting up youth fitness stations organized into 10 zones, featuring basic bodyweight activities where participants could earn a prize, and there have been talks of perhaps offering swim lessons in open water.
Members of the Open Space Recreation and Review Committee review the Fish Park survey findings. HANNAH MORIN / For the Athol Daily News
ATHOL – The Open Space Recreation and Review Committee met to continue planning for this year’s “Our Waters” event at Silver Lake Park.
The event, scheduled for June 27 with a rain date of June 28, will include outdoor activities and demonstrations at the park, with local groups and food vendors participating throughout the day. Organizers are looking to build on last year’s gathering, which was affected by heavy rain.
Director of Planning and Community Development Eric Smith said a pavilion has already been reserved for both dates.
“Now we have to get a one-day event license, so I have the application work. My goal is to take it to the Selectboard on April 7,” he said at the committee’s meeting on Feb. 24.
Liz Day, director of Healthy Living at the Athol Area YMCA, attended the meeting to discuss how the organization could expand its role in this year’s event. She has led a run/walk club at Silver Lake Park since last spring and previously organized a youth Spartan-style training program there.
Day said that as part of the “Our Waters” event, the YMCA is considering setting up youth fitness stations organized into 10 zones, featuring basic bodyweight activities where participants could earn a prize.
She added that she plans to involve the YMCA’s Aquatics Director Erin Kimball in conversations about the event, noting there have been talks of perhaps offering swim lessons in open water.
“The plan is this year that they will be actually getting into the water,” Day said.
The committee discussed bringing back several activities from last year, including a morning bird walk, tree-coring demonstrations, pickleball instruction, a scavenger hunt and a search-and-rescue dog demonstration, along with the possibility of a competitive lap race around the lake’s 1,000-meter trail.
Members also talked about inviting back food vendors, including the Lions Club’s “Weenie Wagon” and Pop’s Sweet-Harts Ice Cream Truck.
Fish Park survey results
The committee also reviewed the results of a public survey on Fish Park improvements. Smith said the survey had102 responses – 67 online submissions and 35 hard copies.
“By far, the number one favorite activity there was sledding,” Smith said.
Respondents also frequently cited the park’s open space, tennis courts, basketball and music events as favorite features.
The most frequently identified concerns included the condition and use of the gazebo and bandstand area, along with aging playground equipment. Parking, maintenance and comments that the park is underutilized were also noted.
When asked what improvements they would prioritize, many respondents called for updated playground equipment, additional shade and seating, more trees and benches and repairs to the bandstand.
Smith said the full survey results will be compiled into a PDF and posted publicly.
