By Nathan Duke
Staff Writer

Aaron Turgeon, 12, swings on a bar at Goffstown’s Barnard Park playground while Michael Diaz, 8, looks on in the background. Both of them take part in the park’s summer recreation program. (Nathan Duke Photo)

Hundreds of area children populate Goffstown’s playgrounds on any given summer day during the town’s seven-week summer program.

The program, which is run through the Goffstown Parks and Recreation Department, begins the Monday after the school year ends and lasts for seven weeks. Roy Park and Barnard Park are overflowing with area children from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Monday through Thursday.

Margaret Brennan, who runs the parks and recreation program at Barnard Park, said more than 200 area children have signed up for the program and about 75 to 80 show up on any given day.

She said the programs are a great alternative to sitting around the house.

“I think (the program) is lax, in that they get to make their own decisions about what they want to play,” she said.

Karen Blunden, who is in charge of arts and crafts at the Roy Park program, said about 80 children are enrolled at that park’s program. She said about 20 show up each day, though there are days in which as many as 45 are at the park.

The programs include a variety of activities, like arts and crafts, softball, tennis, games, trips, track and field, cookouts and special events.

Bob Draper, the chairman of Goffstown’s parks and recreation committee, said the department tries to coordinate programs with Goffstown schools throughout the year.

“The parks and recreation department tries to coordinate the needs of the town and the use of the parks, so people in town can get to use all of these facilities,” he said. “(The schools) use Barnard Park for football, while (parks and recreation) uses school gyms for Pee Wee basketball.”

The town’s playgrounds are paid for through tax dollars, as the parks and recreation department sets aside a portion of its budget to fund the playgrounds.

In the past year, Barnard Park has seen the addition of new equipment, including new swings and a new slide.

“As far as the quality of equipment, (Barnard Park’s) is good, more than adequate,” said Brennan.

However, the upkeep of Roy Park has been slightly more difficult, said Alan Palmer, one of two parks and recreation staff member who are responsible for the cleaning of the two parks.

“There is usually something broken or there is graffiti on the side of (playground) equipment every weekend,” he said. “It gets very frustrating.”

Palmer said he believes kids come from Manchester to hang out at Roy Park at night. He said the addition of new equipment could produce mixed results.

“There could be new equipment here, but in a week it would be spray-painted and in five pieces – it’s just not worth it,” he said.

Michelle McVey, who has two children in the Roy Park summer program and often brings her son, Patrick, 3, to the swings on the playground, said it might be difficult to add new equipment at the park for space reasons.

“I grew up in Goffstown and remember not having too many things to play on at the playground,” she said. “But, I don’t know where they would put new equipment. I don’t think they have the room. (The inability to add new equipment) might end up being a matter of space, rather than funding.”

Draper said Roy Park’s parking area was expanded and its pool house redone a few years ago. He said there might be room to add new playground equipment at the site, but there is no room to expand the swimming area or fields.

However, a number of children in the parks’ summer recreation programs said they value their time at the parks and enjoy the seven-week programs.

Erin Trnka, 10, who attends Maple Avenue Elementary, said the monkey bars at Barnard Park are her favorite piece of equipment to play on.

Matt Mason and Ryan Lavalliere, who both attend the Barnard Park program, said their favorite activity in the program is playing dodge ball.

“We all play five or six times a day,” said Lavalliere. “It’s wicked fun because you get to choose teams.”

Blunden said the parks’ playgrounds are open for use until dusk each day. Additionally, the skateboard park on Church Street is open from 8 a.m. to sunset. The pools are open from 1 to 8 p.m. each day.