Hope Kiwanis Club Hears Program on Parks Department
The Hope Kiwanis Club heard from Hope Parks & Recreation Direction Summer Chambers on Tuesday (5-20). Summers said she believes this has been the busiest spring season she’s seen since joining the parks department nine years ago.
Chambers said the town’s recent 150th anniversary event went well and she was proud of her department’s efforts in staging that event.
The parks department started a spring soccer league this year. 230 kids signed up for the soccer program. The spring sports, including baseball, softball, and soccer, will be ending in several weeks and she said the department is looking forward to a break before the summer programs kick in.
The parks department will once again have a summer program this year. The free summer kids’ programs will be Tuesdays and Thursdays for ages 6 through 12 and are free to all. The Hope School District will provide free lunches. Chambers said some of the activities include kickball, arts & crafts, and swimming in the pool. Other activities will include a visit from the fire department, a program by the Arkansas Game & Fish which allows the youngsters to see animals up close, and the extension office will offer nutrition programs. Anyone who would like to learn more can call the park at 777-7500.
Chambers said the Hope swimming pool will be open this Saturday and Memorial Day. The pool will then close the rest of the week until Saturday June 2nd for the season. Prices are $3 for kids to swim and $5 for adults. The parks department is renting the pool for parties. The women’s aerobics class should start the second week of June. Chambers says some of the lifeguards have planned some special activities and the parks department will release those activities soon. The Hope pool is the oldest one still in use in Arkansas. It opened in 1948. The pool is to be replaced by pools at the new aquatic center set to open at 16th and Spring Hill Road near the Kelly Fields. It will take a couple of years for the aquatic center to be built, and Chambers feels certain the current pool should be able to be used until then.
Chambers says the North Side splash pad should go to bid next month. She said the new pickleball and tennis courts designed were scheduled to be presented to the City Board later on Tuesday.
The city is in the design phase of the new recreation center to be located at Kelly Fields. The new facility will have two basketball courts, a competition swimming pool, and indoor walking track, and a therapy pool. Chambers said they will offer year-round swim team practice and swimming lessons. There will also be a basketball league and volleyball league. The final design will be finished to be let for bid in October or November. A potential design is on the city’s website at hopearkansas.net.
The Kiwanians enjoyed the program and had several questions for Chambers before she wrapped up the program.