Monterey Activities Could Grow This Summer After Programs Survey

More sports, creative movement and dance activities top the parks and recreation wants of Monterey residents.

The results come from a recently completed ten-question survey. Cultural Administrator Rafferty Cleary said some 500 people participated.

“We’re going to take the survey results, John Ross (Albertson) is going to look at it and kind of come up with a plan,” Cleary said. “We got to find facilities and some folks to teach some of these classes as well. I would expect this summer at least some of these you’ll see them launched.”

Cleary said some initial programs that could kick off sooner rather than later are small group basketball games, yoga, kickboxing and zumba. Another big want from residents was soccer.

Cleary said Putnam County Parks and Recreation Director John Ross Albertson has already toured the town checking feasibility.

“We don’t have a soccer program in Monterey. We don’t have a field in Monterey,” Cleary said. “So that’s a tough one for us to figure out, but we are going to try to look and see what we can do. I was with John Ross a couple days ago, and we were driving around town looking at potential areas that could serve as a youth field.”

The survey also showed that Monterey needs to better advertise its activities, Cleary said. Educational and crafting activities ranked high on the survey, but the town already has painting, quilting classes and the Monterey Depot that displays the town’s history.

Cleary said the survey idea was introduced by Albertson in a meeting with the town at the beginning of the year. Cleary said the town and county now working to implement the survey results.

“He and his team they kind of manage the parks and rec facilities in each town, but he’s also got a big job for the county,” Cleary said. “With that being said , John Ross has to be extremely prepared. He’s got to be extremely organized, and he was doing just that the start of the year. He got in touch with me and Mayor Reels and wanted to sit down and talk parks and rec moving forward.”