ELIMINATED!

The Parks and Recreation Commission is responsible for many programs and services enjoyed by Bolton residents of all ages.  They manage and maintain public use properties throughout the Town of Bolton.

The department is responsible for:

• Derby Field - used for school recess, field hockey, and lacrosse

• Forbush Mill Fields - multiple playing fields

  • Playing Field - playing field used for soccer and Frisbee leagues

  • Field A - full-sized soccer field

  • Field B - Two U10 or one U12 soccer field(s)

  • Field C - Two U08 soccer fields

  • Field D - Two U05/U06 fields

• Memorial Field - multiple playing fields and other amenities 

  • Babe Ruth Baseball Field

  • Bolton Capital Baseball Field - lighted

  • IL Baseball Field

  • Clinton Saving Softball Field

  • Volleyball Court

  • Murphy Basketball Court

  • Playground

• Town Common - The town green with walking and exercise trails, pergola, amphitheater, and pavillions.

• Tower Field - used for lacrosse

• Pond Park - Historic Town Common in the center of Bolton, in front of the Emerson School.  The basin is flooded in to create a skating rink in winter.

• Little Pond - The Town Beach, open for swimming in the summer

• Persons Park - Town park across the pond from Town Beach

These Parks and Recreation resources are there for all Bolton residents.

With the elimination of the Parks and Recreation Commission, upkeep of all of these properties will suffer.  Some of the services currently provided by Parks include:

• Grass cutting (performed by DPW, but this will cease)

• Irrigation maintenance

• Electrical maintenance

• Bathroom/Portable Toilet (aka 'Porta Potty') maintenance

• Lifeguards

The Summer Programs, which last year saw nearly 300 of Bolton's children participate, will end, as will the Swimming Lessons.  While the Town Beach is not planned to be closed, lifeguards will be eliminated as they are funded through Parks.  Swimming will be at your own risk.

The Town's Holiday Events, such as the Easter Party and Egg Hunt at the Town Common, the Halloween celebration and the Town Common and the children's parade, the the Memorial Day observances, and the Town Tree Lighting are all hosted by the Parks and Recreation Commission, and would no longer be held.  The winter skating rink will be no more.

The savings from eliminating all of this is only $82,484.

The elimination of the Parks and Recreation Commission will impact Bolton residents who participate in sports which use these fields, or who have children that do, and anyone who simply enjoys a day in the park or a swim in Little Pond.  Organizations who use these fields are already scrambling to determine how, or indeed if, they would be able to replace the lost services and maintain access to and use of the fields.  These costs will land on the shoulders of Bolton families.