Parks & Rec Minutes
October 6, 2025 @ 7pm
Tonight’s meeting will be held in person only at the Township Building.

• Call to Order
• Attendees:
  
  • Board Members: Jane Kennedy, Helen Eckel-Wiener, Katie Brauchle, Anne Duzan, Brett Klukan, Elizabeth Malone, Sam Wiener
  • Staff Present: Jessica Markovich
• The Parks and Recreation October 6th, 2025, agenda was posted on the Township website and at the township building on October 3rd, 2025. Agendas were made available to the public at the meeting. The 2025 Parks and Recreation meeting schedule was published in the Daily Local News on December 18th, 2024.
• Public Comment
• Minutes approved – August 4, 2025
• Old business
  • Summer Series – Wonka Recap
    • It was fun! We didn’t have as big of a showing as the first Summer Series, but since it was rescheduled from its original date in June it made sense. All the kids who showed up enjoyed the crafts. Helen mentioned that we need to order more popcorn for next year’s movies. The Board enjoyed the golden ticket ideas!
  • National Night Out Recap
    • Art in the Park at NNO went great! Liz talked about how the setup of it and encouraging participation and donation of your art to the Art Show worked really well and we can do that again next year. Having three tables for attendees to work at was great.​
  • Art in the Park for Adult Recaps
    • Both classes went great! Based on feedback, it seemed that participants left the classes excited for more. There were also 2 comments on social media about how people didn’t know about the classes and are hoping that we do more so they can participate, which was really encouraging to see. The classes didn’t completely sell out, but over half of the tickets (which were a maximum of 25 for each) were purchased. There was positive feedback about the instructors for each class from both the Parks & Rec Board and participants from the classes. Parks & Rec would add one or two more of these classes for next year. Ane suggested a class that focuses on drawing portraits, and Sam built off that with the idea of portrait photography.
  • Community Day Recap
    • Community Day was a success! Despite the switch of days, we had a lot of vendors who were still able to come, which we were grateful for. Recruiting more volunteers for next year will be a goal again for Community Day. Jessica brought up the idea of setting in stone a rain date for next year’s Community Day as we did receive some feedback about having it. The Board agreed that it would be a good thing to keep in mind. We also received feedback about shortening the event by an hour. We had drawing and coloring next to the Art Show, and Liz suggested adding another table as there was trouble finding room for everyone who wanted to participate. All Art Show pieces were at the Coatesville Area Public Library and will be put up in the Township lobby next.
    • Anne suggested maybe having another game for the Parks & Rec table for next year, and Sam said the duck pond is a big hit every year but adding one could be a good idea. Anne brought up that if we have trouble recruiting volunteers again having two activities might be difficult. This was the first year that we had two bands perform – they were originally supposed to each be under Pavillion #1, but Jimmy Jorge and the Latin Express ended up performing at the entrance to the event. Brett thought that location worked out well, and if we have two bands next year, we should just prepare to have a band at that location, rather than having them perform at the same place, so it is easier to get them set up and ready to go.
• New Business
  • EAC Liaison
    • JoEllen McBride, a member of Caln’s Environmental Advisory Council (EAC) and former Parks & Recreation Board Member, is the new EAC liaison to the Parks & Recreation Board. Anne is also a member of the EAC. JoEllen explained how the EAC came to be from the Sustainability Task Force and their report of recommendations for the Township to act in a more sustainable way. The EAC was formed because of this report. One of the goals of the EAC is to reach out to other Boards and Commissions in the township to discuss how they and the EAC can collaborate. JoEllen explained the seven areas of focus of the Sustainability Report and where it can be found on the website, but she pointed out in specific main goals that would align with Parks & Recreation: add a sustainability awareness component to all municipal events; encouraging community engagement with BMPs (best management practices) for biodiversity; update the natural resource tree/tree inventories; adding a native meadow certification program; and updating the green and open space plan. JoEllen encouraged the Board to reach out to the EAC if they had any ideas or wanted the EAC to come to events or make suggestions.
      
    • Sam asked if the meadow certification would be from the state. Anne explained that one could obtain for converting their yard into a biodiverse environment, such as the meadow certification, that the township could grant. She also brough up the idea of getting one of the parks, or a spot in the park, to be certified (such as Meadow Park, which is still a work in progress). Helen brought up that this could be applied to different levels, from individual residential homes to HOAs, and Anne and JoEllen expressed their interest in connecting with HOA to discuss the possibilities of this. Anne also discussed working with the new housing developments as they are in progress to encourage more native greenery and eco-friendly practices. JoEllen mentioned also that the EAC is interested in having their own special events, such as ones geared towards recycling materials that are harder to recycle. Anne mentioned doing invasive removals/education events would be great.
      
    • Tree Maintenance Event
      
      • Jessica explained to the Board that Abbey is interested in scheduling another riparian buffer tree maintenance event on November 8th, and as it is a busy time of year, she wanted to gauge the Board’s interest and availability for the event. Most of the Board expressed that if they are able to come they would like to participate. Anne asked which locations it would be at, and Jessica explained that it might just be at Lloyd Park. Anne suggested splitting taking care of the riparian buffer trees at both Lloyd Park and Municipal Park for two separate events – one in the spring, and one in the fall.
  • Halloween Party Planning – October 25th
    • United Sports has donated 6 gift certificates to their facility and prizes for the costume contest winners. Shannon Cooper’s Dance Academy will be performing again, and they set up the sign up for the trunk or treat. Helen asked if the link was available to people outside of the dance school to sign up. Jessica explained that if anyone reached out about wanting to sign up, we would send the link to them. Anne expressed interest in Parks & Rec doing a car, and the rest of the Board agreed with the idea. The categories for the costume contest are cutest costume, best group costume, most creative, scariest, best superhero/villain, best make believe, and best pet. Brett and Katie said that they would be judges for the contest. The costume contest will be the same set up as last year, where contestants will visit the judges’ tent rather than going through a parade. The students from Shannon Cooper’s students will likely host games like last year, and we will buy a big pumpkin for the pumpkin weight guessing, as well as something for guessing how many of the treats are in a jar. Anne suggested Halloween Peeps if they have them, and Brett expressed the benefit of finding something lighter/less dense, and more desirable to kids. We will be setting up a photo booth again. Helen asked if we would have a Halloween craft, but with the event only being two hours long and the trunk or treat being added, Brett expressed that there was a lot going on. The Board would also like to add the scavenger hunt. An arrival time of 12:00 PM that day was decided. For the Parks & Rec car, Abbey and Jessica will buy candy for it. Jessica said that she would start an email chain after the meeting to discuss the theme for the trunk.
  • Clean-Up Crew – October 18th and November 1st
    • The first of our last two clean-ups is on October 18th at Embreeville Road. Only members of the Parks & Recreation Board are signed up, but it will be promoted on social media again. The next will be on November 1st at North Bailey Road (which was rescheduled from April). There will be flaggers for both clean ups. For Embreeville, we will be meeting at Quik-Stop, and for North Bailey Road, we will be parking at Sylvan Drive.
  • Tree Lighting Planning – December 7th
    • The Township Tree Lighting will be on Sunday, December 7th at 5:00 PM. If a burn ban is not in effect again this year, it was decided that we will host a s’mores table again. The Board discussed decorations for Santa’s tent, and having more greenery for it like last year’s would be great to do. The Board decided to set an arrival time of 3:00 PM for them, but they will adjust it as the event gets closer if needed. Public Works will bring the larger items needed (bleachers, the “Happy Holidays” sign). Abbey emailed the Coatesville Meistersingers today to confirm if they are able to make it, and Jessica will be reaching out to Shannon Cooper’s Dance Academy and the Thorndale-Downingtown Rotary to confirm their attendance as well. They will also be reaching out to the Historical Commission about opening the Hexagonal Schoolhouse for tours. Anne asked if someone from the department would need to be there to watch the fire for the s’mores. Jessica and Abbey will also be reaching out to the fire company to confirm this and if they can provide a Santa for the event. Anne suggested the idea of the fire company rinsing the pavement before the event. Liz suggested earlier this year to get larger electric candle lights to put out. Jessica and Abbey will look at the budget to see what we can get. Jessica also announced to the Board that the Township also purchased artificial garland to go around the light poles along with the snowflakes. Liz suggested the idea of lighting G.O. Carlson instead of Lincoln Highway as there is fewer lights/distractions, keeping the decorations more prominent. To go along with this, Anne suggested adding lights along the walking paths on G.O. Carlson.
  • Township Holiday Party – December 12th
    • Jessica announced that the End of Year Appreciation Dinner for the Township and its volunteers will be on December 12th at 5:00 PM at the Thorndale Inn.
  • Kings Highway Park Update
    • Jessica asked anyone who had been to the Kings Highway Park Strategic Task Force meetings if they had any updates they would like to share. She also asked the Board if, after the updates, they had any ideas that they would like to see considered to please share. Helen shared that they all received maps of the current park and were asked to draw (individually and in groups) what they envisioned could be good to have at the park. When the groups came together and presented what they all drew, a lot of overlap was discovered. They are hoping for the Township Engineer’s to look at the maps and determine the feasibility of it, as well as hopefully provide an idea of cost. The big priorities are ensuring the safety of the buildings and the driveway on the property for guests. The Board then looked at the original 2007 Kings Highway Park Plan and what differences there are between it and what the Task Force came up with. Some of these ideas were: adding an observatory, a pond/wetland space at the front of the house, trails, and event space. Anne asked if there was any discussion about adding parking along North Bailey Road. Helen said that there has been some discussion about creating an entrance and parking area near Fisherville and North Bailey. Helen and Brett discussed one how one of the EAC members working on an inventory of natural resources on the property.
      
    • For things that they would like to be added, the Parks & Recreation Board mentioned: a playground, trails, signage/active maps, sensory garden, meditative labyrinth, public restroom with a composting aspect, and solar powered items. Jessica said that if they think of anything else to email her, and to expect and invite from the Task Force for their input.
    • Jessica also announced to the Board that the tickets for the December On Your Own Bus Trip are live, and about six tickets have been sold so far. Helen asked if we have a representative going on the trip, and both Abbey and Jessica are going. The bus trip is on Saturday, December 6th and it will depart from the Municipal Building at 7:30 AM and arrive back around 9:00 PM. There are 55 tickets for sale.
    • Helen also highlighted the new Old Caln Historical Society in the lobby.
• Adjournment

Respectfully submitted,
​
Jessica Markovich
Recording Secretary

MEETING CANCELLED. 

Parks & Rec Minutes
August 4, 2025 @ 7pm
 
Hybrid meeting was held both via Zoom and in person at the Township building

• Call to Order
• Attendees: Jane Kennedy, Helen Eckel-Wiener, Katie Brauchle, Anne Duzan, Brett Klukan, Elizabeth Malone, Sam Wiener
• Staff Preset: Abbey Swan and Jessica Markovich
• Public Comment
• Minutes approved – July 7, 2025
  • Minutes passed 6-0 with an abstention from Anne
• Old business
  • Summer Series Finding Nemo Recap  
    • People really turned out for it, which was exciting, and the kids seemed to love the craft. All the equipment worked and set up ran smoothly. We had around a crowd of 75. The scavenger hunt was a hit, and the decorations from Jane were very popular. The Board had gotten there earlier than usual for setup, which didn’t take too long.
  • Clean Up Crew – July 12th Recap
    • We had about three people who signed up other than the P&R Board, so with the next two clean ups being further out we are hoping to gather more volunteers. The volunteers who did attend were great, and a lot was cleaned up! Helen noted that it was nice to meet at the beginning and to then have all the volunteers spread out across the stream, so we were getting the most coverage and not too crowded. Some notable finds here a Kmart shopping cart, a couch cushion, a computer screen, and a large garbage can. The area closest to Handi-Crafters was extremely dense and is a good spot to keep in mind for future clean ups.
  • National Night Out Finalizing Plans
    • Everyone from the P&R Board will be in attendance. P&R will be providing an Art in the Park session. There will be a main craft activity table, a table specifically for making art for the Art Show, and a freestyle art table. This craft will be creating wildflowers to be displayed on a mural. A few P&R members will be at the Art in the Park tables, while others will fill in to man other activities if needed. Jessica asked the Board if the other members are not needed elsewhere, should we make a bubble station for kids. The Board decided to bring the materials to have one just in case. Liz asked where the art table would be, and Jessica and Abbey answered that it would be near the Pollinator Garden. Abbey said that we could pick to be either on the side of the Pollinator Garden that we usually are for Community Day, or if we want to be on the south side of it. Sam asked if there was going to be a fishpond, and Helen answered that we will be doing that at Community Day. Helen asked what time to arrive, and the board was asked to be there at 5:30 PM but whenever they can come is perfect.
• New Business
  • Summer Series Wonka Final Planning – August 8th
    • Rescheduled from June 14th, the Summer Series Wonka movie night had been moved to August 8th. Jessica reported that some more candy and chocolate bars need to be purchased, but a lot of the materials for the craft are all ready to go due to it being rescheduled. Abbey and Jessica will be making golden tickets to put into the popcorn bags, and any attendee with these tickets can pick a prize. Since the Board thought that they had gotten to the last Summer Series a little early, Jessica suggested moving our arrival time from 5:30 PM to 6:00 PM, and because we are doing less activities the Board agreed to this. We will have popcorn as usual.
  • Jahaco Memorial Benches Program
    • Jahaco, a new local business that has previously presented to the P&R Board, has reached out to the Township to introduce a new memorial bench campaign in Caln! Those who are interested in purchasing a memorial bench can do so off Jahaco’s campaign on the website “See My Legacy”. All benches will be made with 100% recycled materials with the ability to put a placard on them. The benches will be $899. The Township will have the ability to decide what locations the benches will go, how many, and what colors they will be. Purchasing and installation will all be through Jahaco, apart from Public Works helping with installation if concrete is needed.  Jessica showed their demo website to the Board and walked through what they would do. Caln Township is the first municipality that they are working with! Jahaco is also looking into the option of adding a section on this website where purchasers can upload photos and descriptions of who they bought the benches in honor of. Jane asked if we would post it on our website once we get the final details, and Jessica answered yes. Jessica and Abbey are meeting with Jahaco later this week to give the specifications of location, color, and amount. Jessica presented these questions to the Board. The Board decided to have the locations be at Caln Municipal Park, Ruth B. Dawkins Park, Lloyd Park, Meadow Park, and along G.O. Carlson. Municipal, Lloyd, and Meadow Park will have 5 benches available at each location. If there is an increasing demand, the Board will go to Jahaco to ask for more to be added. Jane asked if Jahaco had any other products other than benches. Jessica answered that she believes they are primarily selling benches now, but that Jahaco said they could do other items if they had the mold for them. For colors, the Board went between having the option of choosing between three colors (green, brown, or gray) or just doing green across the board. After reviewing the colors on Jahaco’s website (which they also found out that they do in fact sell items other than benches) and discussing what colors would suit each park best, the Board ultimately decided to just do green. Helen suggested doing a different color for the legs of bench, if possible, but that Jahaco previously had only been doing black legs. Jessica said that she would ask. Jessica stated that Jahaco is looking for a local company to do the plaques for the benches as well.
  • Community Day Updates and Final Planning
    • One month and a day away! We are doing well for sponsors and vendors, still waiting for some checks to be sent but a majority have been received by the Township. The contract with the band Jimmy Jorge and the Latin Express is being finalized, and we are working on finalizing the performance schedules with Shannon Cooper’s Dance School, Lupo Taekwando, and Russell’s Dance and Baton School as well. Parks and Recreation are planning to have the duck pond again. Everyone on the Board will be signing up for shifts. We have one other volunteer who has signed up so far who is not on the Board. Helen asked to confirm that we would be having fireworks, and Jessica said yes. The Police will be helping to monitor the fireworks. Helen asked about the Art Show, and Liz expressed concern about not having enough art for it. Abbey said that we need to promote the Art Show more on social media. Liz is hoping to have more entries submitted at National Night Out, and Abbey mentioned encouraging participants at Photos at the Farm to submit as well. Helen and Liz discussed the Art Show set up last year, that it was supposed to be on the fence but due to the rain it went to the Township building in addition to the Coatesville Area Public Library. Set up for the day begins at 10 AM with vendors arriving at 12PM. Abbey reminded the Board that if they knew anyone who was interested in volunteering to let them know as we are looking for more!
  • Art in the Park Class Updates
    • Tickets for the classes aren’t selling as fast as anticipated, but 11 were sold for the photography class so far, and 8 for the botanical sketching class. Helen asked if there was a minimum that we had to have or if we just moved forward with any number, and Jessica confirmed this and said that the maximum attendance for each class is 25. The photography class will be promoted a couple more times on social media to push ticket sales. Abbey said that she is going to put out a poster as well for National Night Out.
  • Kings Highway Strategic Task Force Meeting Update
    • Helen gave a recap of the Kings Highway Task Force Meeting and its purpose, which is to revisit the Kings Highway Park plan that was first developed in 2008. The Task Force is focusing on the basic logistics of a park – bathrooms, parking lot, etc. – and getting it open to the public. The 2008 plan had intended attractions to be added, but for now Helen said the main focus is the basic logistics. Sam asked if the farm would stay exactly how it is now, and Helen said that the buildings on the south end would remain the same, but the rest of the acreage might change in phases with the 2008 plan. Liz asked if having access to water and bathrooms requirements before opening, and Abbey answered that the park could be opened if the Task Force figured out a safe way for parking as a portable toilet could be added for the time being. Kings Highway Task Force Meetings are open to the public and occur on the fourth Tuesday of every month.
    • Kings Highway Strategic Task Force Recommendations Support (Action Item)
      • The Historical Commission came up with a list of recommendations for the next steps of taking care of Spackman-Davis Farm and were seeking Parks and Recreation’s support of the letter. There were three phases in the letter, with the recommendations revolving repairs to the house and barn on the property, such as repairing stone walls around the property. Many of the recommendations have already been completed over the years. Helen asked if these repairs would come from the Parks and Recreation budget, as the Historical Commission has budgeted for things revolving the Spackman-Davis Farm and the Friends of Spackman-Davis Farm are also raising funds to help repair it. Abbey answered that repairs for the Spackman-Davis Farm were included in the line items for park improvements in the Parks & Recreation budget, but if there are specific things for it that the Board would like to see done, we could request it for the budget. Anne asked if there were any plans for using the barn for activities/events, and Jessica and Helen answered there are no specific plans in the near future other than repairing the barn, but that people have expressed interest in this. Helen explained that making the property safe for visitors is the directive right now. Abbey mentioned that if Parks & Recreation wanted to come up with a list like this of our own goals, that is something we can do in the future as well.  Helen asked if Parks & Recreation’s support would help the chances of receiving any grants for this, and Abbey answered that it would once a formal report is created.
        • A vote was held for the Parks & Recreation Board to sign off on the list of recommendations. The motion passed 7-0.
  • 2025 Budget Request (Action Item)
    • For the Parks Budget, the Meadow Park budget was increased, but all other line items remained the same as 2025. It was increased to $5,000 to match the PECO grant that Township recently received to finish seeding the meadow. Abbey proposed requesting a new line item for tree maintenance for $25,000. The Board discussed that a replacement needs to be picked for the merry-go-round in Municipal Park, plus adding playground borders and additional play equipment. In Lloyd Park, budgeting for updating the grills and for landscaping and signage for Beaver Creek Trail will need to be considered. The same thing will also need to be considered for future Kings Highway Park as a trail is planned to be added to the property, as well as house expenses at the Spackman-Davis Farm.
      • A vote was held that this budget request would be used to advise the Board of Commissioners when determining the 2026 Park Budget. The motion passed 7-0.
    • For the Events Budget, the Community Day expenditures and revenue were increased to $15,000. Summer Series and Art in the Park remained the same at $10,000. Holidays and Clean Up Events increased by $500 to be $4,000. The budget for Bus Trips remained at $6,000. Both Bus Trips and Community Day budgets are offset by revenues.
      • A vote was held that this budget request would be used to advise the Board of Commissioners when determining the 2026 Events Budget. The motion passed 7-0.
• Adjournment

 

 Parks & Rec Meeting Minutes
July 7, 2025 @ 7pm
This meeting was a hybrid meeting – held both via Zoom and in person at the Township building.

•  Call to Order
• Attendees: Helen Eckel-Wiener, Sam Wiener, Jane Kennedy, Anne Duzan, Brett Klukan, Liz Malone, and Katie Brauchle
• Staff Present: Abbey Swan and Jessica Markovich
• Public Comment
• ​Minutes approved – June 2, 2025
• Old business
  • Art in the Park Update
    • Jessica and Abbey updated the Board on the progress for the Adult Art in the Park sessions – they plan to post the event and tickets for it the next day, July 8th. Jessica sent the promotional materials to the instructors for approval and received it from one so far. The rate for the tickets will be either $15 for non-residents and $10 for residents, or $15 for all. Abbey and Jessica will look at the line items to determine the rate. Classes will be capped at 25 people so the instructors can give more individual attention. Helen asked if Parks and Recreation members signing up will take up space. Abbey advised that if they would like to come to the class they should sign up as there are only 25 spots. Helen said that she would hold off to see if it fills up first.
    • The Board also talked about the original Art in the Park events. Our 2nd Art in the Park went great! We have received great feedback from attendees so far. Two other municipalities have started their own Art in the Park programs as well after visiting ours.
  • Summer Series Final Planning – July 18th
    • The first Summer Series movie (as the first one was rescheduled), will be on Friday, July 18th! Jessica went over the craft that will be taking place before the movie (crafting your own fish), as well as a Finding Nemo scavenger hunt for a prize. The movie will start at 8:30 PM, with the crafts starting an hour prior at 7:30 PM. Jessica and Abbey will reach out to the golf course to confirm that if there is rain, we can use their pavilion for the movie as it is larger than ours. The Board decided that everyone who can make it will arrive at 5:30 PM to begin setting up for the event. The only snack that will be given out at the event is popcorn. It was discussed that popsicles could be purchased if it is very hot that day.
  • Clean-Up Crew Planning – July 12th
    • The first clean-up crew of the year will be on Saturday, July 12th to clean up Valley Run. Besides Parks and Recreation, a Boy Scout troop signed up, but they did not give an exact number of how many people would join. Liz confirmed that she would be there to help. If the weather calls for thunderstorms, or if the stream is unusually high, then the event will be cancelled. It was confirmed that volunteers would meet here at the Township municipal building. The group discussed which area of the stream would be best to work on, and it was decided that if there were enough volunteers, we would fan out in both east and west to cover the most ground. Liz mentioned a specific spot that was missed during Clean-Up Weekend near Barley Sheaf Road that could receive some attention. Everyone will meet at 9 AM at the Township building.
  • National Night Out Finalizing Plans
    • National Night Out is on Tuesday, August 5th from 6 – 8 PM in Caln Municipal Park. Jessica and Abbey will meet with the Police to go over the event again, assign any final tasks, and make sure that everything already set in place is good to go. There will be no fireworks at this year’s event, so Parks & Recreation will just have tables for Art in the Park to do at the event. Abbey mentioned that we will also bring the lawn games. Helen asked if we will be located in the parking lot again, but as the event has shifted, Parks & Recreation will no longer be in the parking lot but somewhere else in the park, which will be decided at the Wednesday meeting. Anne asked if Public Works will be present to show off their trucks, and Abbey answered that they won’t be doing that specifically at National Night Out, but they will be there to help block roads. Abbey told the Board that Ray was able to secure a JeffSTAT helicopter, so they will be landing in the field where the fireworks usually take place, promptly at 6PM (barring any emergencies). The band from Coatesville, the VFW, and Chico’s Vibe will then go on following the helicopter landing. Katie asked what time we should arrive, and Abbey answered as early as you can, but that we should be setting up by 5 PM. Abbey asked if the Board wanted to do or bring anything else, and they were fine with just the Art in the Park table.
•  New Business
  • Summer Series – Rescheduling June 14th’s event
    • With the bad weather, the Summer Series Movie Night for Wonka had to be cancelled. The Board bounced a couple of dates around (July 26th, August 2nd, August 8th, August 9th, August 22nd, August 23rd). The group looked also at a few dates in September but based on past performance for Summer Series events in September, the group decided to keep it in Summer. Friday, August 8th was when most were available, and there were no other events that day (besides National Night Out happening that week). Jane asked if there is a place that we could partner with so we don’t have to keep cancelling and scheduling events if it rains. Abbey and Jessica mentioned that Breathe Church and the Lutheran Church would most likely have space and be receptive to hosting the event. Abbey said that we would look into it but that we would check with the golf course first as their pavilion is currently our rain date location and it would still then technically be in a park. Abbey also mentioned looking into the gym at the elementary school, and Jessica mentioned the banquet hall at the fire station. Anne mentioned that if we do have the event at the fire station, we could open up donations to the fire company from the public.
  • Meadow Park Ribbon Cutting – July 10th
    • Right before the Board of Commissioners meeting at 6:30 PM, there will be a small ribbon cutting taking place at the new Meadow Park as it will be officially open for visitors. There will be light refreshments available. Abbey opened up that anyone on the Parks & Recreation Board is welcome to say anything as a part of the ceremony. Helen asked if there was any press coverage, and Abbey mentioned that we will take photos and potentially write something to send out after the event to cover it.
  • Community Day Updates
    • As of now, we have 8 sponsors confirmed, and some have expressed interest but have not submitted their forms. Helen asked if the sponsors will have tables at the event like vendors, and Abbey and Jessica explained that if they would like to, they will have the space to do so, but many have said that they will just be a sponsor. It was opened up to any businesses in Caln Township who just started since the last Community Day a free vendor space. There are also 4 confirmed food vendors as of now. Fireworks, the magician, portable toilets, Bubbletopia, and face painting have all been confirmed, and Abbey and Jessica are looking into inflatables. Anne asked if there will also be mini golf, and Abbey answered that it depends on our budget but that we would like to. Also depending on the budget, Abbey mentioned that she is also interested in booking the salsa band that performed at a previous Summer Series event, Jimmy Jorge and the Latin Express, for Community Day as well. For performances, Shannon Cooper’s Dance Academy and Russell’s Dance & Baton Studio will be at the event again, and Lupo’s Taekwando are interested in a demonstration this year as well. Jane asked if we will have any characters this year, and that is something that Abbey will be booking them very soon through Birthday Buddies. Brett asked if Birthday Buddies will be at National Night Out, and Abbey and Jessica answered that it was discussed but that if they are we will make sure it is different characters for each event.
    • Helen asked if Parks & Recreation is interested in doing the duck pond again, and everyone agreed. The Art Show will also be taking place again, and Liz has started to collect art for it. Brett asked if Public Works could fill up sandbags or if they have extra ones for the tents as it was windy last year, and Anne asked if Public Works could set up the pool. Abbey said that we can ask about both. It is likely that we will stay in the pollinator and rain garden. Abbey brought up the Citizen Science box that we could bring to also have at the event if they wanted, or we can save it for its own event. The Board agreed it could be nice to just have it there.
  • Environmental Advisory Council Liaison
    • Anne spoke about the newly formed Environmental Advisory Council. Anne is the chair of the new Council, and as Parks & Recreation has done a lot of environmental activities already, it is likely that there will be a lot of communication between the two groups. The EAC will also have a liaison with other Township boards and commissions to help advise on matters with sustainability and the environment in mind. The EAC liaison to the Parks & Recreation Board is Jo Ellen McBride. She will be on the August meeting agenda if she is able to attend, and will bring the list of items from the Sustainability Task Force Report that pertain to Parks & Rec.

• Anne brought up the idea of having another Adult Art in the Park for crafts, but making it center around bringing a craft that you have been working on but have postponed. The event could be named something similar to UFO for unfinished objects, and attendees will have the opportunity to complete these projects in a community setting. Anne would host events like this at her home, and Abbey and Jessica will investigate if any other places host events like this.
• Helen asked if any of the groups who reserved the sand volleyball courts had reached out, and Jessica said that she will be reaching out to them this week to see how things are going. With this, Anne mentioned that there was a big shrub in the corner of the sand courts, so Anne was curious if this would be the responsibility of the Township or if it is up to the groups that reserved the courts. Abbey said that the Township is planning on taking care of it hopefully soon.
• Adjournment

​Parks & Rec Meeting Minutes
June 2, 2025 @ 7pm

This meeting was held as a hybrid meeting – both via Zoom and in person at the Township building.

• Call to Order
• Attendees: Jane Kennedy, Helen Eckel-Wiener, Katie Brauchle, Brett Klukan, and Sam Wiener
• Staff Present: Abbey Swan and Jessica Markovich
• Public Comment
• Minutes Approved – May 5, 2025
  • A vote was held to approve the minutes from the May 5th, 2025, meeting. The motion passed 4-0, with an abstention from Brett Klukan
• Old business
  •  Art in the Park Update
    • The first Art in the Park of the summer is on Wednesday, June 4th! Jessica read an update from Liz who couldn’t be in attendance, which detailed that this session’s activity would revolve around making seed packets with wildflower designs on them. There would also be tables for painting, drawing, and coloring where attendees will be encouraged to draw wildflowers and pollinators. Attendees will also be encouraged to submit their artwork to the Art Show at Caln Community Day. Kim Jackson from One For All Art will be helping out again this summer, and Katie also is planning to be there as well. The craft for July 2nd (Bee Hotel) had been adjusted to being a Bee Bath – Abbey found this as a replacement for the hotels as they are a bit more complicated to create. The Bee Bath will be filled with stones and so insects like butterflies and bees can stand in shallow water to cool off and not drown, and it would be made out of little saucers. There is also an idea of creating a bigger one for the pollinator garden in Caln Municipal Park and attendees can paint rocks to put in there.
    • Jessica also gave updates for the Art in the Park sessions for Adult – Parks & Rec was approved to hold the photography class at the Spackman-Davis Farm on August 16th from 6 PM – 8 PM. The photographer is Drew Tolbert. He will be at the event around 5:30 PM and welcomes any and all camera equipment. In his classes, Drew likes to pair attendees together who have the same photography goals so they can work together – this class will be ran like this. The class size would be limited to 20-25 people, with an absolute maximum of 30 if there is a lot of interest. The next Adult Art in the Park is a botanical sketchbook class with Margaret Saylor on September 27th from 1 PM – 4 PM. It will take place here at the Township building, and everyone will walk over to Meadow Park to pick a plant that they want to sketch and bring it back. Margaret will be there to instruct the class and give them tips. The class size will also be around the same with 20-25 attendees. Drew will be $175/hour and Margaret’s rate is $400. Attendees will have to purchase tickets, the final price being anywhere from $10-$15. Helen mentioned a discussion of having a price for Caln residents and one for non-residents, which Abbey and Jessica agreed would be good to do. Tickets will be sold through Ticket Leap. There is a rain date for the photography class, which is the following weekend, but there is not one for the botanical sketch class as it is inside.
  • Summer Series Final Planning – June 14th
    • The first Summer Series moving will be Wonka, with an activity start time of 7:30 PM and a screening time of 8:30 PM. Jessica brought up how the last activity discussed for the event was creating a candy bar design and then putting it on the bars. For this, there will be two different types of labels that attendees can design - one with the Wonka logo that attendees can color in and a blank one where they can make something from scratch. Jessica also mentioned the idea of making candy jewelry with candy that has holes in it, such as peach rings, and putting them on an elastic string. Abbey also found a craft activity pack on the Wonka website with coloring pages that we can print out. As there will only be a few that are able to help, it was decided that everyone would get there around 5:30 PM to set up. Abbey mentioned the idea of hiding a few golden tickets in popcorn bags for attendees to find and return for a prize, and the Board was enthusiastic about the idea. It was suggested to laminate them to reduce them from getting messy. Jane asked if food trucks would be attending again, but due to lack of sales in the past at these events, they would not be in attendance. The group also talked about when they offered ice pops for one year with popcorn and decided to consider this if it is hot.
• New Business
  • America 250 Event
    • Next year, there will be a joint event between Parks & Recreation, the Historical Commission, and the Historical Society for America250. It will center around the Spackman-Davis Farm – there will be a picnic, as well as trolley tours around the Township to visit historical sites (which was done for the 150th anniversary of the township). Tours of the Caln Meetinghouse will also take place, and this site will be celebrating 300 years. Reenactments will take place at the Spackman-Davis Farm. There was a discussion on Parks & Recreation contributing an Art in the Park project at the event. The Township applied for a grant to help cover the costs of the event but have not heard back yet. Guests from Calne, England have also been invited and are planning to be in attendance for the event. Helen brought up the 2nd Annual Spackman-Davis Farm Picnic that will be happening at the end of this month and that Parks & Recreation will bring lawn games. Abbey reminded the Board that if they planned on attending, they would have to sign up as everyone, including volunteers, was asked to do so and that they can sign up through the form on our website and Facebook.
  • Pavilion Rentals Update
    • The Township has been receiving an increase in requests from those who are reserving park pavilions for events regarding what they can and cannot do, such as renting a bounce house. They have been told that there is no express rule regarding bounce houses, but that they have to be mindful of other visitors in the park as they are only reserving the pavilion and not the rest of the property. Our Township manager suggested creating a requirement of obtaining insurance for this. There are also inquiries about reserving the pavilion as a vendor, and there were some concerns on what new guidelines would be made if vendors wanted to come use other parts of the park. Jane suggested that the pavilion rates be changed based on the scale of the event that will be held at the pavilion, as these events would require more cleanup from Public Works to make sure that the spaces are clean for all reservations. Abbey and Jessica will talk to Don about any implications for changing the fee schedule, and Jessica will look into what other municipalities in the area are charging for pavilion reservations. Brett voiced that if someone reserving the pavilion is bringing someone in, the vendor they are hiring will most likely have some sort of insurance, but we should think about creating a policy around what is and is not allowed to be plugged in to the outlets at the pavilion for safety, as well as if generators are allowed. Along with this and the fact that pavilion rentals are also only for the pavilion itself, the Board voiced concern about the policy overall and what changes need to be made. With space in the park itself being a concern, Jane mentioned that finding another space in Caln that the Township could use as an event space would be beneficial, and the Board agreed.
  • Caln Municipal Park Hockey Rink Rental
    • Last year, United Sports was approved to host deck hockey at the hockey rink in Municipal Park, but they ended up not doing it. A representative from Campus came to Abbey to inquire about doing the same thing for this year, but Abbey has not heard from them in a while, so she is unsure if they are still interested. Our Township Manager suggested drafting an MOU with Campus should Campus want to move forward with reserving the space. It would be the same conditions as last time – there will not be a rental rate, but they will be asked to purchase new nets, clean up the rink, and make sure that they are done by noon if it is a Saturday. Helen asked if people used the rink regularly, and Abbey answered that it is used but many people use it for soccer. Sam asked if Campus has insurance, and Abbey said yes. Helen asked if this is a situation where Campus would have exclusive first use, and Abbey answered that it would be like the volleyball courts where there will be a sign with specific reservation times. The Board agreed to the MOU if Campus would still like to reserve the space.
• Jane brought up the idea of adding more signs on the intersection of Lincoln Highway and Municipal Drive to direct people to the Township building. Abbey said it was a good idea, and we will find out where we can put this sign.
• Helen and Jane inquired about how Community Day planning is going, and Abbey and Jessica gave an update on the planning. We have acquired a few gold sponsorships and have eight vendors so far, and we have started lining up our activities. The Board also inquired about the band and Abbey is looking into potentially securing two bands, as one band that we had at a past Summer Series event had sent an email saying they were free that day. Jane also asked if a storyteller of African folklore reached out, as she was interested in attending that day.
• Jane gave a quick recap of the Bus Trip to New York City and that it was a great weekend. Abbey asked Jane if she thought moving the spring trip to a different weekend would be better because this one was so close to Memorial Day and graduation and it seemed that tickets were selling slower than usual.
•  Adjournment

Parks & Rec Meeting Minutes
May 5, 2025 @ 7pm
 
A hybrid meeting was held both via Zoom and in person at the Township building.

• Call to Order
• Attendees: Helen Eckel-Wiener, Anne Duzan, Elizabeth Malone, Brett Klukan, Katie Brauchle, and Sam Wiener
• Staff Present: Abbey Swan and Jessica Markovich
• The Parks and Recreation March 3rd, 2025, agenda was posted on the Township website and at the township building on February 28th, 2025. Agendas were made available to the public at the meeting. The 2025 Parks and Recreation meeting schedule was published in the Daily Local News on December 18th, 2024.
• Public Comment
• Minutes Approved – April 7, 2025
• Presentation: Jahaco’s Waste2Bench Program
  • Jeff and Amy Burke gave a presentation about their business Jahaco, which is a company that collects plastic bags and manufactures them into recycled materials to create benches (but they also can create other items, such as bike racks and picnic tables). They are introducing a Waste2Bench program, which is a where they ask residents to donate towards creating a bench that can be donated to a local municipality. They are partnered with a company called EcoPlastics in Wilmington, DE, which is where they have their materials manufactured as of now. Sam asked how the benches hold up in the weather, and Jeff answered while the color may fade years down the line, the plastic will remain intact for a very long time and the benches are anchored into the ground. Jeff discussed how they have made some benches into memorial benches with New Castle – the Board was very interested in this idea as many people have come to the Township to inquire about memorial benches. Jahaco’s benches are $850 and come already built by them when delivered and can put gold placards on the benches (even if businesses just wanted to do this as well). Liz suggested that benches could be placed along G.O. Carlson but there was some concern expressed about the size of the area alongside the sidewalk where the benches could go. With the opening of the Meadow Park soon, Abbey mentioned that it could be very nice to add benches there. Abbey asked if the bench as a whole is able to be recycled again, and they confirmed this. Abbey asked what next steps Jahaco is looking from the Board. The next steps that they are looking for are: promotion of the Waste2Bench program to the community, if the Township is interested in adding or replacing the benches, and Jahaco is interested in helping to have conversations with businesses (such as businesses purchasing benches with their logos on them). They will be sending over more pricing information to Abbey and Jessica for the future.
• Old business
  • Easter Egg Hunt Recap
    • It was a great turn out! With over 4,000 eggs being stuffed and hid, we had attendees come up to let us know that the event was fun, which was awesome! Katie suggested that having two people to operate Parks & Recreation’s general table would be beneficial as there were lots of people coming up to collect prizes or to collect eggs if they had arrived later. Abbey said that for next year’s we should make sure that positions are set ahead of the event date, so everyone knows what their role is for the day. Katie also suggested that we could post approximate beginning and end times of each hunt, as there were many families who arrived after the hunts started and finished since we only advertise that we start at 1:00 PM. Sam mentioned that once one hunt started, all kids just went so that it hard to control, and it was brought up that either having more volunteers to let the kids know when to go or to add more tape to the area could help this. It seemed that the volunteers are the Car Seat Safety Check had a nice time and were able to talk to lots of people and give tours of their vehicles, but that there wasn’t actually many who came by to have their car seats checked. If we continue to have this at events, hopefully people will become more used to it and attend it more. It was suggested that maybe we create sign-ups for the car seat at an event instead of just drop ins.
    • A parent had reached out to Abbey about the possibility of adding a sensory friendly egg hunt to next year’s event. Brett really liked the idea and added that we should do more research and reach out to. This also appeared in a survey Abbey and Jessica had put out after the event to ask attendees how the event was and what they would like to see in the future, the results of this and the other questions were:
      • For if attendees would like to see a sensory-friendly egg hunt added, a majority said yes
      • For if attendees would like the event to take place the day before Easter or the weekend before, a majority said the weekend before
      • For how attendees would like to see the hunts commence (have the approximate start and end times for each, have them go all at once, or continue to do it the way we have (one begins as soon as the previous one ends), a majority of people said they would like all of the hunts to occur at once
    • The group discussed that maybe having staggering times would be best for parents with multiple children as some parents expressed they missed one hunt because it started so soon after the previous one ended, as well as how this would help shorten the line for visiting the Easter Bunny and keep things running smoothly.
  • Caln Elementary Spring Fair Recap
    • Despite the rain and not being able to do the bubble activity, it was a great time! Everyone from the Board who attended thought it was a good opportunity for outreach and a fun time.  
  • Clean-Up Crew Reschedule
    • With the recent weather, the April 12th North Bailey Road cleanup had to be cancelled. Abbey suggested moving the event to Friday, which would get a new group of people, and that Public Works will already be scheduled to work during the day. The event taking place in the fall was suggested, and Brett mentioned that fall tends to be the time when insects are bothersome during clean ups, so later fall would be best. It was decided to stick to a Saturday, with it taking place on November 1st.
  • PA Recreation and Park Society Member Dues – Action Item
    • Jessica had looked into if a Board could have one membership as an organization, but found that it seems to just be individually. Abbey and Jessica suggested that the chair of the Board renew their subscription. The Board agreed and decided that Helen would be the one to hold a subscription.
  • Summer Series Planning
    • There was discussion of the removal of fireworks at National Night Out in order to help differentiate National Night Out from Community Day and to save some funds for other activities at NNO that are more in line with Police services. As fireworks are one of the contributions from Parks & Recreation, it was asked of the Board if the removal of the fireworks was something they are ok with. The Board was onboard with the decision if the logistics of the event will still work.
    • Our first Summer Series event is on June 14th with a showing of Wonka. Abbey and Jessica were brainstorming some possible activities to take place before the movie showing. Some ideas were: painting with candy melts and putting them into plastic molds, make your own candy bar logo design and then putting stickers on candy bars, add toppings to your popcorn, and make candy necklaces. The group liked the idea of drawing your own candy bar design and putting it then on candy bars. It was suggested to add another activity to help fil up the time. Brett suggested maybe reaching out to a library to bring the Charlie and the Chocolate Factory book to the event for a reading – Anne said that we could even do this for Finding Nemo with books about oceans. Abbey and Jessica will continue to come up with another activity to have.
• New Business
  • Bishop Shanahan Sand Volleyball Court Reservations – Action Item
    • Anne made a motion to adjust the agenda to allow Bishop Shanahan to speak sooner. The motion passed 6-0.
      • Bishop Shanahan Volleyball coaches Bruce and Diana came before the board to inquire about the new sand volleyball court reservations at Lloyd Park. Greg stated that the volleyball team at Bishop Shanahan had utilized the sand courts since 2008 during July as the school’s gym is closed. They stated that they had tried to inquire before about reservations but that the court has been first come first serve, but now with this year’s change they want to know what they can do to create a reservation for their team. Abbey explained that due to limitations regarding staff and website maintenance, a formal reservation system for the courts has not been feasible in the past but that changes are now being made. Abbey reminded the board and informed Bishop Shanahan that, for this season only, the only requirement besides the Parks & Rec Board’s approval of reservation times is to have a sign of their permit created to hang at the courts. Bishop Shanahan asked to reserve the court on Tuesdays and Thursdays from 6:00 PM to 8:00 PM and Wednesdays from 4:00 PM to 6:00 PM during the month of July. Bruce and Diana also shared that they are always interested in getting their team to help with any volunteer projects and to give back – the Board suggested them helping with the riparian buffer tree maintenance and community clean ups.
      • A motion was made to approve the Bishop Shanahan High School’s Volleyball’s team usage of the Lloyd Park sand volleyball courts from 6:00 PM to 8: 00 PM Tuesdays and Thursdays and from 4:00 PM to 6:00 Pm Wednesdays in the month of July. The motion was passed 6-0.
• Adjournment

 

​Parks & Rec Meeting Minutes
April 7, 2025 @ 7pm

Hybrid meeting was held both via Zoom and in person at the Township building.

• Call to Order
• Attendees: Helen Eckel-Wiener, Katie Brauchle, Anne Duzan, Brett Klukan, Elizabeth Malone, Jane Kennedy, and Sam Wiener
  
• Staff Present: Abbey Swan and Jessica Markovich
  
• The Parks and Recreation March 3rd, 2025, agenda was posted on the Township website and at the township building on February 28th, 2025. Agendas were made available to the public at the meeting. The 2025 Parks and Recreation meeting schedule was published in the Daily Local News on December 18th, 2024.
  
• Public Comment
  
• Minutes Approved – March 3, 2025
  
  • Helen caught an error with “impervious” being used instead of “permeable”
    
    • A vote was held to approve the minutes with a resolution of the discrepancy. The motion passed 7-0.
      
• Old business
  
  • Hybrid Meeting Policy – Action Item
    
    • The Hybrid Meeting Policy details the structure of Parks & Recreation meeting in a hybrid atmosphere. Helen asked for clarification that it essentially outlines the rules of if someone cannot attend a meeting in terms of notifying a head of time, which Abbey and Jessica confirmed. It was also explained that the policy will allow for meetings to continue should the Zoom room not function.
      
      • A vote was held to adopt the Hybrid Meeting Policy. The motion passed 7-0.
        
  • Riparian Buffer Tree Maintenance Recap – There was a good turnout this year! All the trees were able to be checked that day, and they were done in record time. It was discussed that this event will likely happen at least once a year for the foreseeable future as the trees continue to grow. Helen asked if the HOA performed tree maintenance on their own. Abbey explained that two members came to our event and that they had discussed us helping to organize theirs.
    
  • Caln Community Clean Up Weekend Recap – A success! In total, there were 116 volunteers, 189 bags of trash, 13 tires, 1 mattress, and miscellaneous electronics. For next year, the group discussed that it would be beneficial to place the areas that need the most attention to be at the start of the weekend/for an earlier shift as that is when most people tend to sign up. Suggested changes to be made for next year were also: buying smaller gloves for kids, shortening shift times down to 2 hours, having more reusable tools to bring to shifts, advising volunteers to bring thicker leather gloves and to purchase some, removing some locations and adding in others that need more attention. Brett also sugsted for next year also printing out safety guidelines should volunteers find any hazardous materials, such as needles, and bringing a first aid kit should anything happen, such as bee stings. Abbey mentioned that with shorter clean-up times, it would be easter to bring these kits and other clean-up tools as we will be able to attend each session for longer or the whole time. As there were ticks at the Acme location, Brett mentioned the possibility of including tick boxes there. Anne voiced concern about the chemicals that are included in these boxes, as it will affect other wildlife in the area. Helen asked if anyone knew of protection like bug spray that would be effective against ticks and safer for other wildlife and humans, and Anne explained that there are some out there. Abbey suggested then that we possibly include various types of bug sprays for volunteers to use if they would like to.
    
    •  Abbey proposed that as next year is America250 and that many municipalities seem to have their cleanups around the same time, we could try to organize a county-wide clean up. Abbey has already reached out to some people to gauge interest and there has been a great response so far
      
  •  Caln Elementary Spring Fair – April 11th
    
    • Helen had read out instructions for the Spring Fair from her contact at the school. The group was signed up to bring a tent, table, yard games, and bubble making station. If it rained, however, the group would not be able to do the bubble making station. Abbey suggested bringing coloring sheets should our table be moved inside. Helen asked if we could have handouts of our schedule/events to hand out and Abbey and Jess said that they were working on it. The group agreed that arriving at 5:30 PM should leave them enough time to set up.
      
  •  Summer Series Planning – June 14th and July 18th
    
    • The winners of the Facebook poll were Wonka and Finding Nemo! It was decided that the longer movie would be placed on the date that would allow us to start it earlier. For activities to go along with the movies, the group discussed some ideas: creating your own fish (potentially making it like a windsock to create movement), having a “Guess the Goldfish” container, making edible sand art. It was decided that there would be a craft your own fish for Finding Nemo. It was also suggested then to add a “Find Nemo” hunt in the park. For Wonka, Brett suggested a local chocolatier coming to speak about the process from bean to bar, but there were concerns on how much this presentation would be. Some other ideas were: bubblegum machine art project, making your own imaginary candy craft project, edible teacups, make their own chocolate bar, candy buffet. It was decided that something for Wonka will be solidified at the next meeting.
      
• New Business
  
  • PA Recreation and Park Society Member Dues – Action Item
    
    • The Board was asked if they wanted to reup their membership to the PA Recreation and Park Society, which would be $150 total for the entire board. The group discussed the idea of finding out if we could limit the number of memberships that we have in order to reduce spending.
      
      • A vote was held for Jessica and Abbey to explore options of reducing the overall number of people that we have subscribed while still maintaining access to the PA Recreation and Park Society information. The motion passed 7-0.
        
  • Wiffle Ball Field Proposal
    
    • A group had approached Abbey with a proposal of building a wiffle ball field in the back corner of the meadow. Brett asked about the dimensions of the field and what they would be adding to the field for it. The field would be 100’x100’, and their proposal stated that they would bring removable turf for home plate, but that they want to build a fence, back stop, and leave a trash can on site. They would also then spray paint with grass paint for the lines, and that would create a PVC strike zone that would also be removed. Abbey announced to the Board that we had just been awarded on Friday a $10,000 grant from PECO to complete the meadow, which would then remove the available space that they are asking to use for the wiffle ball field. Sam suggested some space in Municipal Park, but the flat area is planted and near it is owned by the school district. Due to the completion of the meadow project, the board decided not to support the project.
•  Adjournment
  

Parks & Rec 
March 3, 2025 @ 7pm
 
Tonight’s meeting will be a hybrid meeting – both via Zoom and in person at the Township building.

• Call to Order
• Attendees:
  • Board Members: Helen Eckel-Wiener, Katie Brauchle, Anne Duzan, Brett Klukan, Elizabeth Malone, and Sam Wiener
  • Staff Present: Abbey Swan and Jessica Markovich
• The Parks and Recreation March 3rd, 2025, agenda was posted on the Township website and at the township building on February 28th, 2025. Agendas were made available to the public at the meeting. The 2025 Parks and Recreation meeting schedule was published in the Daily Local News on December 18th, 2024.
• Public Comment
• Minutes approved– February 3, 2025
• Old business
  • FC Delco Field Turf Recommendation – Action Item
    • Helen started by discussing stormwater concern and making sure that the field would be a permeable surface, but how that ultimately would be up to the engineer that FC Delco hires to ensure this. FC Delco has seen some initial designs of what the stormwater management may look like, which were presented with the images last meeting. Everything FC Delco knows so far is preliminary. As the turf would be a porous field, FC Delco explained that drains would be built underneath the turf, with crushed rock on top of that, allowing for the water to flow out and making the ground level, furthering helping to make the field more impervious. Concerns about parking and light pollution were also mentioned again by the group, and FC Delco assured that the parking would not be in the way of other homes and that the way that the lights are hooded make it hard to see from the road.
    • A vote was held to recommend to the Board of Commissioners that FC Delco move forward with installing turf at Caln Park West. The motion passed 6-0.
  • Clean Up Crew Rewards
    • As there are a few Clean Up Crew members who have maxed out the number of rewards, Abbey posed to the Board if they want to provide additional rewards for attending more events (which the next reward would be attending 9 events). The Board thought that having more rewards would be a nice thing to do. Abbey pulled up different options that the Board previously looked like – water bottles, trash grabbers, t-shirts. Brett suggested that we should choose items that we think attendees would use outside of Clean Up Crew events so they can get more use out of them, and it will further help advertise the events. The group liked that idea, as well as having items made out of recycled materials. As not many people would be reaching the number of events attended that are needed, Abbey proposed getting a few of the new rewards but also purchasing items for attendees to use at events (such as trash grabbers and reflective events). The group decided that we would look into getting a handful of two additional rewards and whatever money we have left after that would be used to purchase items that attendees can use at the events.
• New Business
  • Sand Volleyball Court Reservations – Action Item
    • A representative from the Driven Dragons Volleyball Academy had reached out to inquire about reserving the sand volleyball courts at Lloyd Park between the dates of July 7th to September 19th from 6pm – 8pm every Monday and Wednesday. There is no current reservation system in place for the sand courts, so it was presented to the group about if allowing the reservation of the courts is something that they want to move forward with and if so, what that will look like. The group discussed that the reservation system could look like a discussion held with United Sports and use of the hockey rink, which is they can use it for free, but they have to maintain the upkeep of the rink, and the Driven Dragons can do the same for the volleyball court. Brett asked about what the rates are and how the rates for the pavilion rentals were determined by the BOC and proposed that the easiest option would be to have it set up like the pavilion rentals if there were no logistical issues with setting it up. Abbey suggested looking more into how other municipalities set up their reservation system (pay by hour, by day, etc.). Brett asked about online registration for the pavilion and if we can do that, and Abbey explained that we have tried it before but that the Township has tried it before with little success and as our current website doesn’t have the ability to make reservations, keeping the reservation system online might cause more issues. The group discussed that moving forward with an in-person form is best. Brett offered moving forward with the same system and then determining what to charge them for the sand courts. Anne charging by the season and that this can be a blueprint.  Moving on to next steps, Abbey voiced that the Driven Dragons coach probably wants to hear what the rate would be sooner rather than later, and with time constrictions of Parks & Rec meeting once a month and if the Board has to approve it, settling on a fee might not work for the Driven Dragon’s timeline. Abbey wants to speak with the Township Manager first before determining a rate as well. The group discussed what they think a good lump sum amount for the season would be for the time being so they could decide tonight, but the group decided to move forward with the same proposition that they presented to United Sports with taking care of the courts and we would post a sign announcing their reservation schedule, and in the meantime Abbey and Jessica would work on creating a formal reservation system.
    • A vote was held to allow Driven Dragons to use the site as requested from Monday and Wednesday evenings 6PM-8PM from July 7th to September 29th, 2025 with the request that Driven Dragons maintain the courts in ways determined appropriate by township management with consultation with the solicitor. The motion passed 6-0.
  • Clean Up Weekend Planning (Shift Assignments)
    • The same clean up locations were kept, but each location starts one hour after the other. Concerns for if there needs to be oversight for those who signed up for separate neighborhood locations were brought, but it was assured that the only thing we really have to do is contact them to confirm where the garbage they collected is so we can pick it up. The group decided that everyone would sign up for what shifts they want and any that aren’t signed up for, Jessica and Abbey would take responsibility for set up duties.
  • Art in the Park Dates
    • Liz presented the 6 dates for the Art in the Park events, as well as 2 for adults. They are:
      • June 4th – Seed Packets w/ Seeds
      • June 18th – Juneteenth Suncatcher
      • July 2nd – Pollinator Shadow Box
      • July 16th – Wildflowers for Meadow Mural
      • August 5th – Wildflowers and Pollinators
      • August 20th – Handmade paper geese motif
      • September 6th – Community Day Art Show
    • The adult Art in the Park sessions are August 16th and September 27th. The September 17th session will be a botanical sketchbook class and August 16th will be a photography class at an undetermined time – Abbey and Jessica have a meeting with the photographer to hash out the details. Liz had brought up trading pollinator shadow boxes for butterfly houses as it might be easier to do. Liz, Abbey, and Jessica will meet at a later date to discuss supplies for it.
  • Clean Up Crew Dates
    • Abbey discussed with the board two considerations for determining dates: that as they want to do a stream clean up, they should probably complete that session in the summer and that a resident who wants to help with Embreeville this year and asked if this happens again that it would not be scheduled on 9/27 and 10/4. Anne mentioned that there is a lot of water near Embreeville if it could also just be added to the stream clean up date, but that as it is not our property, we would need to get permission but it is something that we could try. As the group would also like to do North Bailey Road, we would need to invite many people to help clean and block off the area. As attendance did not track with sign-ups, the group thought it might be best to do fewer clean up crews than last year in order to bring more people together during one shift to help build a community feeling. The group agreed upon the following dates and locations for the Clean Up Crew events:
      • April 12th – North Bailey Road
      • July 12th – Valley Run
      • October 18th – Embreeville Road Triangle
  • Easter Egg Hunt Planning – April 19th
    • The group decided to again assemble the eggs for the hunt after the April meeting. Everyone will arrive at 11:00AM on the 19th to set up for the event and hide the eggs. Helen brought up how last year with the demand having more eggs for this year would be better. It was decided also that Peeps would be used again for the jar count. One or two golden eggs that would have bigger prizes would be hidden again in each section. Abbey mentioned moving the location of the photo booth with the Easter Bunny to along the fence as doing that for Halloween worked very well – it was also brought up that it would be shadier for the kids. It was announced that the Fire Company would be providing free car seat checks for this event.
  • Summer Series Planning – June 14th and July 18th
    • The group decided they again wanted to do movies, as well as try to pair up an activity related to the subject of the movie again. The group settled on five different movies and to have the public vote on and the top two would then be chosen: Dogman, Transformers One, Wonka, Finding Nemo, and Turning Red. A backup plan would be to use the golf course and have it geared more for adults, such as with throwback movies.
  • Caln Elementary Spring Fair Activity – April 11th
    • Helen thought that using the Spring Fair as an outreach effort would be a good idea, such as handing out our event schedule. In terms of activities, Helen suggested maybe doing a scavenger hunt or the bubble activity. It was agreed upon that the group would do a bubble activity.
  • Invasive Removal Event
    • An invasive removal event is scheduled to take place at the Spackman-Davis Farm on April 2nd to remove invasive species at the farm to help prepare and clear out the area for the picnic to take place on June 28th.
• Adjournment

 

​Parks & Rec Meeting Minutes
February 3, 2025 @ 7pm
Hybrid meeting was held both via Zoom and in person at the Township building.

• Call to Order
• Attendees:
  • Board Members Present: Helen Eckel-Wiener, Katie Brauchle, Anne Duzan, Elizabeth Malone, Brett Kuklan, Sam Wiener
  • Staff Present: Abbey Swan and Jessica Markovich
  • Guests: FC Delco
• The Parks and Recreation February 3rd, 2025, agenda was posted on the Township website and at the township building on January 31st, 2025. Agendas were made available to the public at the meeting. The 2025 Parks and Recreation meeting schedule was published in the Daily Local News on December 18, 2024.
• Public Comment
• Minutes Approved – November 4, 2024
• Guest: FC Delco – Brian Courtney, Peye Garcia, and Rob Elliot from FC Delco came to present about the process of getting turf installed at the soccer fields that are at Caln Park West. FC Delco (also known as Spirit Club) has a lease with the township for the fields at Park West, and as soccer operates for about 10 out of 12 months a year, the limitations of this soccer field not being usable in the winter months presents challenges to their seasons with finding alternate places for the teams to play. With the installation of turf, they also mentioned potentially paving the gravel parking lot that is already there to add marked parking spots depending on the needs of the township. The group and FC Delco discussed concerns of stormwater filling the fields and the parking lot, and FC Delco expressed that this would be something explicitly discussed with engineers. Brett asked FC Delco what the agreement between them and the township would look like, and as this is a significantly large investment for the organization they would like to lock in to a long term lease and control the usage of the field, which is similar to how the agreement looks now, so they can create more opportunities to open the fields up to the community. The group also had questions about how this would impact the composting facility also located in Caln Park West, how long of a process it would be to install turf, which is anywhere from 1 to 2 weeks, what its standard life is (“standard” is about 8-10 years), how this could impact the housing around the fields, and if they would take care of the field/the expectations of the township in this maintenance. Updating the lease agreement was also recommended by Abbey due to the changes that this would cause to their agreement as well as the lease’s age. The group decided that they would like to visit the fields themselves to see what the impact would be, and plan to vote at the next meeting if they make a recommendation to the Board of Commissioners that they believe this change will be beneficial.
• Election of Officers – Action Item
  • Chairperson – Anne nominated Helen to be reelected as Chair, Brett seconded it. The motion passed 5-0, with abstention from Helen.
  •  Vice Chair – Sam nominated Anne to be reelected as Vice Chair, Brett seconded it. The motion passed 5-0, with abstention from Anne.
  •  Recording Secretary – Abbey recommended for Jessica to be elected as Recording Secretary. The motion passed 6-0.
• Old business
  • Tree Lighting Recap – the event went well! There was no bonfire unfortunately this year due to the burn ban (that ended the next day). Electric candles were used this year instead for the luminaires and that was a big hit for those who set them up at the event. Liz suggested that we purchase larger electric candles next year for more light. Anne suggested going through some online sources to find wholesale ones. Abbey mentioned how the performances went well by Shannon Cooper’s Dance School and the Coatesville Meistersingers. Kudos to this year’s Santa as well! Anne voiced that she was happy with using real plants for Santa’s tent as it made it look very nice and much more appropriate.
  • Bus Trip Recap – the trip went great! Everyone made it back from NYC, there were no complications day-of. The use of online ticket sales made the process seamless and easier for attendees to purchase them. Working with Krapf Transportation for the first time went fine, and trips in the summer based on this one will most likely fill go over just as well.
  • House Decorating Contest Recap - another success! Katie stated how she enjoys that contestants can’t win two years in a row for the same category, or win more than one in one year, as that gives more opportunity for others to win. The group agreed. It was mentioned that there are many greatly decorated houses that don’t enter, so Abbey suggested that for the next contest that we hand out fliers to homes to encourage entering the contest.
• New Business
  • 2025 Event Planning Dates – Action Item
    • The Board agreed to the following schedule of events:
      • Tree Maintenance Day – March 15th
      • Clean Up Weekend – March 29th and 30th
      • Easter Egg Hunt – April 19th
      • Summer Series – June 14th
      • Spackman-Davis Picnic Event – June 28th
      • Summer Series – July 18th
      • Summer Series – August 5th National Night Out
      • Community Day – September 6th
      • Halloween Party – October 25th
      • Tree Lighting – December 7th
    • A vote was held to approve the event dates. The motion passed 6-0.
      
    • Dates for Art in the Park and Clean Up Crew will be discussed at the March meeting once the schedule of the individual board members and volunteers for the summer is finalized. Jessica reached out to various artists to see what their rates would be for coming to participate in an adult Art in the Park session, and the board wanted to move forward with securing them and seeing what dates they are available. To offset the costs of the instructors, it was suggested that a fee could be charged for these specific Art in the Park sessions – one for residents and one for non-residents. Discussion of other educational events to fit in between events was decided to be talked about at the next meeting.
      
    • Abbey also reached Krapf Transportation to see what dates they have available for another bus trip this spring. The board also discussed the possibility of going somewhere else instead of NYC, such as Cape May. The board settled on Abbey moving forward with securing a May 31st trip and seeing what the difference would be should they go to a different location. It was also decided that Abbey would go ahead and secure a December bus trip date to NYC as well.
      
  • Beaver Creek Trail Grant Support Letter – In order to apply for the Department of Conservation and Natural Resources Grant, which would go towards the Beaver Creek Trail project (the extension attaching Lloyd Park to Downingtown), Parks & Recreation needs to submit a letter of support. The letter was not received in time for the board to review, but after discussion of what the grant would be going towards, the board was supportive of it.
    
    • A vote was held for the Parks & Recreation Boad to approve the support letter. The motion passed 6-0.
      
  • Hybrid Meeting Policy – Abbey suggested tabling voting on the policy as one has not been written up yet.
    
    • A vote was held to table voting on the Hybrid Meeting Policy. The motion passed 6-0.
      
  • Caln Elementary Spring Fair – Held on April 11th from 6-8pm, Helen was approached by a teacher at Caln Elementary about the possibility of Parks & Rec having a table at the fair. As they are neighbors to Municipal Park, Helen thought it would be a great idea to have the board participate. If their table is outside, the board could bring games, but at the very least the event could be a good outreach effort to promote our events. The Board supported the idea. Helen will move forward with securing a table for Parks & Rec to have at the event.
    
  • Clean Up Crew Rewards – discussion of Clean Up Crew rewards were tabled for the March meeting in the interest of time and the discussion of dates.
    
  • Adjournment

​Parks & Rec Meeting Minutes
November 4, 2024 @ 7pm

Hybrid meeting was held both via Zoom and in person at the Township building.

• Call to Order
• Attendees
  • Board Members Present: Helen Eckel-Wiener, Anne Duzan, Brett Klukan, Liz Malone, Sam Wiener, Jane Kennedy, and Katy Brauchle.
  • Staff Members Present: Abbey Swan
  • Guests Present: Gary
• The Parks and Recreation November 4, 2024 agenda was posted on the Township website and at the township building on November 1, 2024. Agendas were made available to the public at the meeting. The 2024 Parks and Recreation meeting schedule was published in the Daily Local News on December 27, 2024.
• Public Comment - None
• Minutes Approved – October 7, 2024
• Old business
  • Meadow Seeding recap and grant application – The seeding of the second acre of meadow went well. There were about 30-35 people, including some Boy Scouts, Watershed Stewards, and people who had seeded the first acre. We used the same seed mix, winter rye, and grasses. A few volunteers were interested in doing their own meadow conversion projects and were looking for guidance. We met in the meeting room beforehand for people to see a slideshow of photos of the first meadow acre and give people an opportunity to ask questions.
    • Abbey applied for the PECO Green Region grant to seed the remainder of the meadow. The $15,000 grant would cover renting a drill seeder and allow us to finish all of the acres at once.
  • Halloween Party Recap – Katy suggested adding a new category – “cutest costume” for next year. Everyone agreed. There were about 200 kids, plus their adults, based on the contest sign ups. The trunks ran out of candy, so there were more people than expected. The day was beautiful. We condensed the event from 3 hours to 2 hours which worked well. Skipping the “parade” continued to be popular. The Police attendance and decorated trunk was nice. Giant also decorated a trunk. Next year it would be nice to have even more trunks. We should definitely have people sign up though – Abbey will make the sign up and send it to Shannon to share with the parents. We may want to reach out to the Methodist church to join us if they want, since they do theirs at the same time. Anne suggested inviting other businesses to do a trunk too, or Public Works. The Fire Company would also be fun (they could bring Red Hots!). We should also buy more table cloth clips.
  • Clean Up Crew recap – Lincoln Highway was very clean (since Rotary has adopted it and does some clean ups). There were 5 people, but many more signed up to come. This was the last one of the year. Between the monthly clean ups and clean up weekend we had 298 volunteer hours and collected 317 bags. The Clean Up Crew alone collected 132 bags of trash (plus tires etc.). Brett and Sam earned their baseball hats in November. In 2025 we can discuss getting new rewards. Having flaggers and hosting bigger events in places like North Bailey would be a good idea.
  • Project Updates:
    • Spackman Farm Lease – the renewed lease with the farmer deducted a 10-foot path around the farm perimeter. The farmer will leave those ten feet open for a walking path. We will need a bridge to cross the stream near Fisherville Road.
    • The Bondsville Road Apartments developer has proposed a land swap with the township for a piece of land near the cell phone tower. The benefit to the township would be access to the land-locked township property along Beaver Creek which would allow us to open that acreage to the public at some point in the future. The developer would also have to run sewer and water up the hill, which would be helpful for a future Kings Highway park.
    • This year is the last year of the urine-tolerant plant trial. Anne planted the plants we received from them this year around the gazebo outside the dog park in the hopes that they would survive better than the plants we had planted in the dog park before. Public Works dug out the turf to create the beds in May. The plants did really well! We got a good response from the public as well.
• New Business
  • Tree Lighting – Scheduled for December 8th. Rotary has confirmed they’ll do refreshments. The Fire Company will supply Santa again. The Historic Society and Commission are doing a contest to reward the best historic photos contributed to their archives. They proposed allowing the winner to be our tree lighter and the group was amenable to that. Meistersingers and Shannon Cooper’s dancers are confirmed. If the burn ban is lifted, we’ll do our fire and smores again. We’ll collect gift cards for Fostering Hope. The group will arrive between 2:00 and 2:30 that day. We should get new candles and lighters for the luminaries.
    • Snowflakes for Lincoln Highway have been received but we’re waiting for outlets to be installed on the posts before they can be put up.
  • Holiday Decorating Contest – Judging will take place on the 18th. We’ll add a category for “best use of small space.” Hatt’s is confirmed to sponsor the contest again.
  • A vote was held to add a September meeting on the second Monday in addition to the usual first Monday monthly meetings for 2025. The motion passed 7-0.
  • Abbey reminded the board to save the date for the annual township holiday party.
  • New program ideas: Anne suggested some art-based programming for adults. Perhaps an expert-led phone photography workshop or basic landscape drawing. We could also do specific projects – draw the barn, farmhouse etc. Parks and Rec could even provide the materials. This could be marketed as “Art in the Park” for adults and could take place in other parks. Abbey will look into instructors. Starting with photography might be easiest. We discussed charging a fee just to ensure that people show up. The fee could vary for residents vs non-residents.
  • New Program Idea – Native Plant Giveaway. Anne suggested hosting a workshop/plant give away event. We could do container planting, using the township compost or ask Hatt’s for some bags of dirt. Perhaps in June. Liz suggested adding a native plant tour of one of the parks as part of the workshop. Abbey suggested that the golf course pavilion might be a location for one of these events.
• Additional Business
  • Abbey reported that the NYC bus trip is sold out and online ticket sales worked really well.
• Adjournment