Last December, the Great Bend Recreation Commission Board presented a plaque to Bruce Hofeling, whose second four-year term as a board member was about to end. After a one-year absence, Hofeling will return as a board member at large on Jan. 1, 2014.
His appointment was made when the GBRC Board met Monday. Diann Henderson, executive director of the Recreation Commission, said a few people had expressed interest in the upcoming board opening, but only Hofeling had turned in a completed application.
Leonard Kaiser will leave the board when his term expires on Dec. 31. Like Hofeling, Kaiser has served back-to-back appointments, and is not eligible to be re-appointed at this time.
Henderson and her staff discussed the time line for upcoming GBRC events. The 17th annual Santa’s Workshop is just three weeks away; it will take place from 6-8 p.m. on Monday, Dec. 2, at the City Auditorium. This event always involves a large number of volunteers, and this year they’ll be working around the Thanksgiving holiday that starts four days earlier on Nov. 28.
GBRC facilities will be closed Nov. 28 through Dec. 1 for Thanksgiving holiday, and Dec. 24-27 for Christmas, to allow staff to spend time with their families, Henderson said.
In other business Monday, board members received paperwork for evaluating the administrator, and met in executive session with Henderson for 10 minutes to discuss personnel. After the executive session, board member Mary Misegadis told the GBRC program directors that they are doing a good job. “I see an enthusiasm that goes way beyond,” said, adding other board members felt the same way. “Thank you very much for all you do.”
Program directors are Chris Umphres, sports; Garet Fitzpatrick, leisure coordinator, and Megan Hammeke, who handles special populations programs and programs for senior citizens.
Among the program directors’ reports, Hammeke said special populations will have a Thanksgiving dance this month with the band Freelance. Eighty-five seniors attended an October program on Medicare changes, and on Nov. 20 there will be another program on “Medicare and health engagement.” The 20th is also the day Great Bend USD 428 children will visit the Senior Center to sing as part of American Education Week.
Fitzpatrick said the Longest Tail Feather contest for pheasant hunters is underway, and there will be a snowman contest again this year. The American Red Cross Baby-sitting Class in October had 17 participants, and will be repeated on Jan. 3, 2014, during the winter recess.
Umphres said a new round of adult volleyball started Monday night. Basketball for students and adults starts at the end of the week.
For the month of October, Henderson said, GBRC offered 1,610 hours of supervised activities, with close to 3,900 enrollments. There were 15,060 participants in activities, of which 5,743 were spectators.