Are Youth Activities In Jersey Shore In Danger of Extinction? Or Will Santa Have To Pay Money To Hand Out Presents?

The Jersey Shore School Board tried to introduce a ruling last month by imposing huge fees on any activity (non-school) occurring on school property.  Any activity or persons using school property falls into one of four categories with the Jersey Shore School District Facility Use Agreement (full agreement can be read here):

Class A – Non-profit organizations directly related to school sponsored activities. Examples of these organizations are student clubs, yearbook staff, booster clubs, and other organizations of similar purpose.

Class B - Non-profit organizations unrelated to school activities that provide a beneficial service to the citizens and community as a whole of the Jersey Shore Area School District. Examples of these organizations may include organizations such as the Jersey Shore Community Band, Jersey Shore YMCA, community youth programs (Little League), or community adult programs.

Class C - Non-profit organizations unrelated to school activities that provide a beneficial service to the citizens and community as a whole of the Jersey Shore Area School District, but which may not be primarily located within the Jersey Shore School District (PIAA event, county choir).

Class D – Commercial and profit generating activities that have limited benefit for the School District or the community as a whole.

Let's look at some examples:

The Jersey Shore YMCA provides child care to school-aged children, ages 5 to 12 years old, before and after school at Salladasburg, Jersey Shore, and Nippenose Elementary Schools.  In addition, they also hold YMCA swim team practices at the high school pool.  According to the facility use agreement, they fall into Class B.     Using the facility use fee schedule (see here and basing the costs of the after-school program on only using ONE classroom); it would cost the Jersey Shore YMCA $750 every week to provide activities and guidance to area youth.  This weekly cost would increase if they use more than one classroom and the gymnasiums for the after school programs.

 A very strong youth wrestling program would have to pay $75 a night, every time they turned on the lights and rolled out the mats for practice.  But it is just not young kids that will feel the brunt of the pain.  Jersey Shore's American Legion baseball team, Post 36, would have to pay $75 every time they chased down fly balls on the high school field.

Fortunately, several citizens concerned about youth activities and the onerous impact of this facility use agreement spoke at a school board meeting a few weeks ago.  As a result, the Jersey Shore School Board called for a special meeting on November 5th at 7:00 PM at the Jersey Shore Middle School Auditorium on Thompson Street to address concerns. 

 

PS - The Lion's Club, which holds a Santa event every December at Nippenose Elementary School (which fall under Class B) will be required to pay a fee under the proposed rule.  Santa might need to cough up some money before he meets the kids! 

Jersey Shore YMCA Swim Team Wreath and Swag Sale

The Holiday Season is Just around the Corner!!

And with that, the time has arrived for the Jersey Shore YMCA Swim Team's  MAJOR fundraiser of the season…the annual holiday wreath sale!! This fundraiser helps pay for coaches’ salaries, equipment and overall expenses the team incurs. Because the swim team MUST entirely pay for itself, the sale is super important. Also, the sale helps us keep our registration prices low…other area swim team have registration costs that are in the $100, $200 and $300’s! YIKES!! As in the past, we ask that each family participate in this fundraiser by selling a minimum of 10 wreaths and/or swags. We must sell at least 500 wreaths or swags to meet our financial obligations so let’s set a goal!! But honestly, the more the better!

The order form can be downloaded here. Fill out the form and hand-off to a Jersey Shore swimmer.  Here are some important dates to keep in mind:

• Monday, November 12 - Orders (and money) are due.
• Sunday, November 18 – wreaths delivered to the YMCA (early Sunday morning) and we will need volunteers to help unload the truck. A sign-up sheet will be placed on the bulletin board at the pool once practices start ….. as always the more volunteers we have the quicker we will get done!  Check out postings, from 2010 and 2011, here and here of the delivery date mayhem!
• Sunday, November 18 – volunteers needed at 11:00am at the JS YMCA so we can prepare/organize the wreaths for pick-up. Pick-up hours are from 11:30 – 1:30. Again, a sign-up sheet will be placed on the bulletin board – and keeping with the “theme” the more volunteers we have, the quicker we can get everything organized!!!

Any questions about the wreath sale can be directed to Todd or Shelley Moore – Wreath Fundraiser Organizers at tmoore@lamar.com or 570-777-0554.

Note that the 'Fresh Pine Wreath' is really a 'Fresh Fir Wreath'

Jersey Shore Swimmer Sets New Meet Record In 200 IM At Pocono's 'Out Of Shape Meet'

A Jersey Shore swimmer sets a new meet record in the Girl's 12 & Under 200 IM At the Pocono's 'Out Of Shape Meet' this past weekend.  Results can be viewed here.

Qualifying Times For YMCA Districts Set

YMCA swimming in Pennsylvania have undergone some new and interesting changes which are below:

New qualifying times can be viewed here.  Note that times are the same for all 3 districts

The state will be divided into 3 Districts, as follows (listing of individual counties is located at the bottom of the page):

• West District: The counties west of and including Bedford, Blair, Clearfield, Cameron, and McKean, as well as Jamestown, NY
• East District: The counties of Chester, Delaware, Philadelphia, Montgomery, Bucks, and Berks
• Central District: All other counties

The District Championship meets will continue as the sole-qualifying meet for the State Championship meet. Progression from Districts to States will be as follows:

• In events with 4 heats at the State Meet (see below), each District will send 1 heat. An additional heat will be chosen at large from among the 3 districts, using the fastest times achieved at the District meets. As an example, for 2013 at Penn State, in a 6 lane pool, each event will have 6 swimmers from each District, plus the next 6 fastest from across the 3 districts.
• In events with 3 heats at the State Meet, each District will send 1 heat. In the case that a district fails to qualify an entire heat for the State meet, the remaining spots will be filled using the fastest times from the other districts.

The events for the State meet will be as follows:

4 heats each of all of the existing events.

10 & unders: 200 medley and free relays, 50 free, 100 free, 50 back, 50 breast, 50 fly, 100 IM

11 12s:: 200 medley and free relays, 50 free, 100 free, 200 free, 50 back, 50 breast, 50 fly, 200 IM

13 14s: 200 medley and free relays, 50 free, 100 free, 200 free, 100 back, 100 breast, 100 fly, 200 IM

15 & overs: 200 medley and free relays, 50 free, 100 free, 200 free, 500 free, 100 back, 100 breast, 100 fly, 200 IM

3 heats each of the new events:

10 & unders: 200 free, 100 back, 100 breast, 100 fly

11 12s: 100 back, 100 breast, 100 fly

13 14s: 200 back, 200 breast, 200 fly, 500 free, 400 IM

15 & overs: 200 back, 200 breast, 200 fly, 400 IM

Swimmers will be permitted to swim in a maximum of 4 events, with no more than 3 being individual events.

The schedule and timeline for the State meet will be as follows:

• Friday pm: 13 -14; 15 & over 500 free and 400 IM (swimmers permitted 1 swim max for this session)
• Saturday am: 13 14s
• Saturday pm: 15 & overs
• Saturday pm: National Time Trials
• Sunday am: 10 & unders
• Sunday pm: 11 12s

The expectation is that the District meets will follow approximately the same time schedule

Additional factors for the State meet:

• Time between sessions will be shortened, with warm-ups for the afternoon session expected to begin immediately following the morning session
• Time allotted for awards is to be reduced. Award ceremonies will be retained, but with less time allotted for walking to the awards stand and receiving awards.

Pennsylvania YMCA Swimming District Alignment

East District	Central District	West District
Ambler	Bellefonte	Allegheny Valley
Boyertown	Bethlehem	Baierl
Brandywine, PA	Bloomsburg	Bradford
Hatboro	Carlisle	Brookville
Jennersville	Chambersburg	Butler
Kennett Area	East Lycoming	Clearfield
Lansdowne	Greater Pittston	Corry
Lionville	Hanover	County
North Penn	Hazleton	DuBois
Phoenixville	Jersey Shore	East Suburban
Pottstown	Juniata Valley	Eastside
Reading	Lancaster	Franklin
Ridley	Lebanon	Greensburg
Rocky Run	Lock Haven	Hollidaysburg
Tri-Hampton	Moshannon Valley	Indiana
Tri-Valley	Nazareth	Jamestown
Upper Bucks	Northern Dauphin County	Johnstown
Upper Main Line	Pocono Family	Laurel Highlands
West Chester	Schuykill	Ligonier
	Scranton	Meadville
	State College	Mon Valley
	Sunbury	New Castle
	Waynesboro	Oil City
	West Shore	Ridgway
	Wilkes-Barre	Sewickley
	York	Shenango Valley
		Titusville
		Uniontown
		Valley Points
		Warren
		Wilmerding

Passive Swim Community Watches As More Central Pennsylvania Pools To Close

Williamsport, the seventh fastest growing metropolitan area in the country (see here), looks to close two public swimming pools (see here).  Nary a peep went up as the Montoursville pool closed several years ago (see here and here) it looks like there is very little to say from the Williamsport swim community. Memorial Park Pool has been closed for repairs and leaks this summer and today's issue of the Williamsport Sun-Gazette quotes Williamsport's Recreation Director Justin Simpson "I haven't heard many complaints about the pool being closed".