<center>AVERBECK</center>

A successful recreation district is not just about facilities – it’s having a team of professionals to organize athletic leagues and events, said Bill Thomas, the director of the John Day Recreation District.

Speaking last Thursday at a public hearing on creating a recreation district here, Thomas described how the district has created a wealth of recreational opportunities and activities for teens in the 13 years he’s served their community of 7,000.

All comments from the 15 Wallowa County residents who spoke at the meeting seemed to support the district.

After his presentation at the Community Connections building, Thomas was asked how the district was started and how the district worked with other government entities.

Due to a misunderstanding, the county commissioners and five residents held another meeting next door at Cloverleaf Hall. Four residents there supported the district, while the fifth expressed opposition because of the increase in taxes the district would bring.

In this second attempt to create the recreation district, supporter Roger Averbeck said this time supporters have more time to educate citizens and community leaders about what the district will and will not do.

“We’re not trying to take city parks or take away the power of city government,” Averbeck said. “We want to improve and support existing recreation and create some new opportunities. We want to fill in the gaps with things not happening around here.”

A detailed plan of what the recreation district will do hasn’t been created, but supporters said it would first organize sports leagues and provide activities for residents. The recreation district supporters’ long-term goal is to open a swimming pool for the county.

The supporters of the district have had their petition for the recreation district certified, will continue to have public hearings, and if the community supports the idea during the hearings, hope to have the issue placed on the ballot in May of 2006, Averbeck said.

The next public hearing is Dec. 7 at the Community Connection building in Enterprise.

The district would be supported by an increase in the property tax, Averbeck said. The additional 35.91 cents per thousand dollars would raise about $180,323 per year, he said.

A fundraiser for the recreation district committee will be held this Saturday at 6:30 p.m. at the Joseph Community Center. The band Skyline will perform, there will be an auction, refreshments, and a cash bar. Tickets cost $20 for adults, while children under 12 can attend for free. There will also be free childcare.

The volunteers in the county who currently organize the area’s sports leagues and take care of the fields quickly get burned out, Averbeck said. People are willing to help out, but there are limits to what they can do, he said.

The person who manages leagues and facilities can also organize sports camps and tournaments that will bring visitors to the county.

“The business community is extremely appreciative of anyone who brings somebody to town…,” Thomas said. “This is not just for the kids, we’re bringing people to town, we’re bringing money to town.”

Along with sports leagues, Thomas said the recreation district committee has worked to organize parties for teens to keep them busy and out of trouble. They have been successful, bringing up to 500 kids to their events on troublesomenights like Halloween and prom night.

Thomas said one of the secrets to their success is keeping the community informed about what they are doing.

Another important step for success is choosing the right director for the district. Thomas said the person needs to have a lot of energy and be able to do everything from write grants to dig a trench to install a sprinkler system.

Along with fields, the John Day recreation district has built a swimming pool, walking trails, a stocked fishing pond, open parkland and 25 spaces for recreational vehicles. They employ 2.5 employees year-round, and 10 lifeguards during the three-month swimming season with a tax about twice what is sought for the Wallowa County district.

Thomas said his city was happy to turn over the management of the parks to the recreation district. They work well with the government and schools, Thomas said, loaning each other equipment and maintaining open communication on events and programs.

The John Day district was started by volunteers, Thomas said, and it operated on a year-to-year basis for the first several years.

Even after many years of service, all the district’s long-terms goals have yet to be reached.

“Like anything, it takes time to get this kind of thing up and running,” Thomas said. “But it’s really paid off for our community.”