Senior Citizens in Atlantic and the surrounding area will have a place to partake in outdoor activities designed specifically for them, possibly as soon as this Summer, following action taken by the City’s Parks and Recreation Board, Monday evening. The Board approved the final site plan for the activities area, which will be located south of the new Parks Maintenance Building at Sunnyside Park.

Parks and Rec Director Roger Herring said there will be all sorts of activities geared toward Seniors and others, including an area specifically designed for horseshoe games. There will be four, regulation-size horseshoe pits. Work on the pits should be completed by July, according to Herring. Another, 70-by 120-foot flat, grassy area, can be used for other activities. Such as Badminten, Croquet, Bocce Ball and other family-type activities.

The area would be easy to get to via an existing access road, and would feature a parking lot made up of gravel asphalt millings. A gradual grade will make the play area handicapped accessible for wheelchairs, persons with walkers, etc. There will also be two picnic tables and a grill in the area, as well.

In other Parks and Rec Board business, the Board instructed Herring to move forward with a revised agreement between the City and YMCA, for the oversight of certain recreational programs they have managed in the past, including tennis, softball and the swim team, pending approval by YMCA Director Dan Haines. The City however plans on hiring its own manager for the swimming pool instead of going through the YMCA, which means the agreement currently in-place with the Y would be reduced nearly $5,000 from the current $10,130 year agreement.

The pool manager would work 36 hours per week and be paid $9.50 per hour, with the potential to earn $4,800 over the summer for 12 weeks, from May 21^st through August 17^th. The person selected would have to meet certain criteria, and understand that they would be responsible for many aspects of the municipal pool operations. He says one of their primary duties will be finding ways to increase attendance at the pool, through the use of theme days and making the pool a more fun place to be.

Herring said he already has several qualified candidates in mind for the position.