Klauber wants focus put on nonsports facilities
Changes in Manalapan recreation as longtime director retires
BY KATHY BARATTA
Staff Writer

MANALAPAN - Township Commit-teeman Richard Klauber wants the municipality to consider a less sports-oriented concept when the second phase of the Manalapan Recreation Center expansion begins.

Klauber said that along with considering a more comprehensive use of the second phase of the Dreyer-Herbert property, a tract that could be expanded if the township achieves an agreement to buy the adjoining Tillis property that borders Englishtown, he would like to see officials think about putting up three-sided buildings or tented areas for use by park-goers and summer recreation participants.

Committeeman Anthony Gennaro has been pushing hard for the rest of the Township Committee to consider including a splash pad - a type of water facility - in the recreation center expansion. Gennaro has said he believes a splash pad will attract youngsters who are not into playing organized sports and help boost sagging summer recreation enrollment.

Klauber said he believes the declining summer recreation enrollment can also be attributed to the fact that the program is run in schools which become too hot and also that the buildings are used primarily to house the youngsters before they leave on the day trips that he said comprise much of the recreation program.

Committee members agreed the ideas had merit and could be discussed in an ongoing restructuring of the recreation department and the expansion of the recreation center.

One announced change in the recreation department is that funding for the township's orchestra, the Manalapan Battleground Symphony, will no longer be provided out of the recreation trust as it had been for the past several years.

The committee provided $10,000 in the 2007 budget for the symphony instead of the previous $35,000 with the understanding that the remainder of the funding would come from a fundraising gala planned for the fall as well as tax-free donations and other fundraising initiatives.

Speaking about the budget cut for the symphony and the committee's effort to develop new sources of funding for it, Stephen Pine, who sits on the symphony's Board of Trustees, said at the committee's June 13 meeting that "any orchestra needs government support. To what degree may be the issue."

Following Pine's remarks, Deputy Mayor Michelle Roth said, "Nobody is interested in eliminating the arts, but we need to operate in the best fiduciary manner possible."

The symphony's situation led its longtime conductor to resign her position several weeks ago.

And it was announced last week that Manalapan's long-time recreation director Gerald Collincini has retired from his position. Collincini could not be reached for comment.

As part of the recreation department restructuring, it was announced on June 13 that the position of recreation director has been eliminated. In its place, a program manager will work with a staff to develop programs that will encourage residents to want to join the summer recreation program.

Klauber also suggested that in developing a passive recreation component as part of the phase two expansion of the recreation center, officials should consider programs that would draw adults' interest as well as youths who are not into playing organized sports but who are entitled to community programs.

Township Administrator Tara Lovrich confirmed last week that enrollment for the summer recreation program has been dropping steadily.

Statistics provided by Lovrich show that in 2005 there were 1,046 children enrolled in the summer program. That number dropped to 869 registrants in 2006. As of last week, registration for 2007 stood at 692 children.

The summer staff has been reduced each year as enrollment has dipped; from 156 youth counselors in 2005, to 153 counselors in 2006, to 144 counselors in 2007.

Lovrich said the staff may be reduced even further depending on whether any of those people who are expected to start work when the recreation program begins on June 27 opt out because they found other employment. She said the starting pay for youth counselors is $5.50 an hour.