The new recreation director for the Sweden Community Center will have his hands full juggling all of the tasks necessary to run the new center. James Nealon was appointed by the Sweden Town Board and will begin his duties April 8. A graduate of SUNY Brockport, Nealon is the senior recreation supervisor for the Penfield Recreation department. Supervisor Nat O. Lester III said the board was impressed with Nealon’s enthusiasm and eagerness. "To come in at ground zero and get the programs up and running is a tremendous task," he said. "He’s got a lot of hard work ahead of him." Lester said Nealon’s ability to raise funds also bodes well for the community center. His duties include overseeing the scheduling of events at the facility, scheduling use of the ball fields and park activities. The center is open to everyone but a non-resident fee will likely be charged, Lester and Nealon said. "He is also going to work on rules, regulations and user fees for the community center," Lester said. User fees may be based on eligibility requirements and there may be a non-resident fee charged for those users who reside outside of the Clarkson and Sweden areas. The community center is at the site of the former Golden Heights Christian Academy and was donated to the town anonymously. Sweden officials asked for participation from the Towns of Clarkson and Hamlin and the Village of Brockport in the amount of a $10,000 donation for the first year’s operating expenses. Brockport and Clarkson have pledged their support to the center. "I just thought this was a wonderful opportunity after I read all of the articles in the paper," Nealon said. "I’d always been hoping our area would get a facility of this nature." The need for the community center was a pressing one, Nealon said. "There is such a lack of indoor space, particularly, and the schools are constantly being used. It’s hard to get adequate time or be able to offer people choices of times to participate." "There’s nothing set in stone at this point with the rules and regulations," Nealon said. "We’re just in the process of laying a foundation to build upon for the future … we just want to make sure we do things the right way." Nealon, who lives in Hamlin with his wife, Kimberly, and their newborn son, Nicholas, said it would have been nice to have the Town of Hamlin on board with the project in the beginning. "Maybe they will decide to participate in the future and if they do we’ll be glad to have them." |
