Swimming Pool Work Progressing Nicely

As previously noted, considerable work was required on almost all public pools in the US, due to recent federal legislation. The fine folks from Rizzo Pools (based in Newington CT) have been here all week with jackhammers, concrete, new drain covers, safety release valves and more. Just this morning, we were able to begin filling a hot tub, and are currently filling the adult sports pool as well. It looks quite likely that we will have at least one hot tub, and perhaps a pool, open by Saturday. Work will continue on the other pools (the kiddy pool actually needed the most intensive construction, adding a whole new second drain), and we expect the diving pool to open next weekend, and the L Pool and Kiddy Pool to be ready by Carnival Weekend (May 15). A reminder that if we are able to open the Adult Pool on Saturday, it will be available for use by all ages. However, those under 21 will need to have a parent present within the pool area, and the hot tubs are for adults 21 and over only. The pool will be very cold, as the water comes straight from our wells. With the recent hydro-seeding at the ballfield, we are switching softball to wiffleball for this weekend. Also, on a sad note, Flo (who runs the Grill and Creamery with Joyce, as well as owning Kitchen Little) saw the passing of her mother on Tuesday. Services are Friday in Mystic. See obituary at http://www.legacy.com/theday/Obituaries.asp?Page=Lifestory&PersonId=126709133 A quick reminder that the annual owner's meeting will take place on Sunday at 1PM in the upstairs rec center. Speaking of upstairs, while it looks like the Oldies concerts will be upstairs, if the weather is good (dry and warm), we may try for the outdoor stage downstairs. The good news is that it appears most of the gnats have come and gone, at least to the extent of their numbers last weekend. Please remember to bring your classic car if you have one...and you will receive a $25 credit on your account for joining the display Saturday evening from 6:15PM to 7PM (we will also present the Karaoke Contest at the car show).

How about Mother Nature?

Hope everyone enjoyed their summer vacation. Sometimes this August heat can be a little oppressive. While it was a perfect weather weekend, there were a few twists provided by Mother Nature. First, the annual "Mayflies" were out a little earlier than normal...and they were quite hungry. Some call them gnats, others refer to them as "black flies", but we eagerly await their demise. The call of the wild also took hold of our two dogs this weekend, as Brock figured out how to unlatch the gate on the deck, prompting Harvey and Cooper to bolt on an exploration. Harvey returned 5 hours later, somewhat dirty, while Cooper was gone for almost 8 hours, and was wet and muddy upon finding his way home. On a far sadder note, the eldest of the Strawberry Park horses had to be put down last week. Trigger was probably my favorite, and one of the most popular horses we have. He was 23 years old, and the vet determined that he was suffering badly from some internal twisting. Cory and Katrina spent the whole overnight watching Trigger and hoping he would get better, but unfortunately, he did not improve. On a positive note, the vet reported that it was not any type of virus that might impact the other horses, and that it was simply and sadly, a matter of an old horse developing complications that are not uncommon at his age. Many campers have been asking about the swimming pools, and the complicated work that is required by the new federal legislation is now starting, and we are optimistic that at least one whirlpool and perhaps a large pool will be open for this upcoming weekend. We will know more as the work progresses this week. A couple of other little projects taking place this week include the moving of our two Park Model display units to the area near the horseshoe pits (from the Visitor Parking Lot), and the loaming and hydro-seeding of some of the thin spots on the softball field/soccer field area.

StrawberryPark.net Updates include Site Ownership Info

Just in time for next weekend's annual Unit Owner's Meeting (Sunday, May 3), we have added some additional information to the Strawberry Park website about site ownership, including some FAQ, a current list of site prices, as well as an updated price list of units for sale by owner or on consignment through Strawberry Park. Have had many positive reviews of the new video, and want to thank our web host specialist for getting it onto our site so quickly. Once again, the forecast for the upcoming weekend is terrific. Not only will we have great weather for all activities here at Strawberry Park, but it is looking good for the first Yanks/Sox series of 2009. Friday night is a YES/NESN broadcast, while Saturday is FOX and Sunday night is ESPN. Not to neglect football fans, the draft is held this weekend. Sorry, not really my idea of riveting television, but it keeps Mel Kiper employed. For those of you long term campers in the 170's and 180's, the repair work on the electric has been completed...so you will have all the juice you need to run your AC this weekend. We have received many calls asking if the pools will be open. Sorry, but not yet. We are still optimistic about NEXT weekend, as we traditionally have the hot tubs and at least one pool open by May 1, but much depends on the needed upgrades being completed to meet federal Graeme-Baker regulations. We have had 6 different pool companies out here, from all parts of CT and even from RI, in an attempt to determine how to best solve the issues that are facing all public pools this spring. We have also consulted with the State of CT, including the contracting of a specialist. I wish it were as easy as changing the covers to the drains, but it is much more complicated, and I hope to have firm answers and commitments any day now.

The Outdoor Channel Airs "Strawberry Park" segment

After considerable filming last summer, the Outdoor Channel has aired their segment on Strawberry Park. It was shown on Monday at 11:30AM, and will re-air in the wee hours over the next week. Some of you may get the Outdoor Channel on your cable system, while others may not. In fact, we have expanded Comcast at home, but don't get that channel...while the expanded cable package here at the Park has the Outdoor Channel (but not included on the basic package). Anyway, the "YouTube" video has been added to our website http://www.strawberrypark.net/ You may recognize a few familiar faces, including Rich L sinking a putt at disc golf, and Mary T offering an interview. Hope you enjoy!

Good weekend weather is here to stay

Finally, our first beautiful weather weekend. Not only did it allow us to be outside for Bingo, with all 3 crowds of over 100 people, but it was nice to see shorts on someone other than myself. While Saturday was the nicest day, Sunday turned out much better than they were expecting. Despite splitting the opening series with the Indians, it was a tough weekend to be a Yankee fan. The best comment I heard was "However much WB Mason may have paid for that billboard in right field wasn't enough", as virtually every homerun was over that sign...including Jorge's controversial game winner on Sunday. The new Stadium looks nice, but not sure why you would put seats right up to the fence...there will be many more questionable interference calls with that configuration. Oh well, back to more pertinent matters. Saturday was a very busy day for the horses, as we had many trail riders and over 50 kids for the ponies. Or should I say 49 kids and one "husky" teenager...my back is still a little sore from that one. I am definitely not in mid-season shape for pony ride lifting. Speaking of shape, a "hats off" to big Mike, one of our long-term campers whose training regimen has seen him drop over 60 pounds. Saw him jogging yesterday morning, with the added weight of a cast on one arm. Congrats on your efforts. The long term forecast for this coming weekend is excellent once again, although the next couple of days are rather iffy. Speaking of next weekend, first meeting of the season between the Yanks and Sox. Brittany from the reservation desk is going to Friday night's game. I hope Wang can lower his ERA under 10 before the all-star break (although that may require 7 shut-outs). Last note...sorry to any long term campers who brought their golf cart up for annual inspection on Saturday. I expect to have someone starting this coming Saturday afternoon--just make sure you bring a copy of your insurance policy indicating liability coverage for the cart.

Opening Day x 3!!

This weekend marks what could be considered 3 "opening days", as the Yankees open the new Stadium today, we start outdoor Bingo season Friday night, and CT fishing season starts Saturday morning. The good news is that we are experiencing a great stretch of weather for these events, with temps expected to hit 70 on Fri & Sat, although Sunday will be cooler with some showers possible. Although I am a Yankee fan, I must admit that I was actually hoping Wake would throw a no-hitter yesterday (only after the Sox extended the lead beyond 2-0 and an Oakland win was out of the question). He is the only Red Sox player that I like, and he has always been a quality guy...too bad he plays for Boston. Conversely, getting Jen to admit she likes any Yankee is a stretch. While I can understand her dislike of someone like former Yankee Giambi, or even A-Rod, you can't dislike Jorge just because he has Dumbo's ears, or Jeter for his leaning away on inside pitches. Or how about Matsui or Rivera? I can understand Damon (would love to give him back), or even CC, but they aren't all evil. Quite a few kids out and about today, as with many schools off this week, some folks have chosen to make it a long weekend. With over a hundred reservations checking in, I am anticipating a good Bingo crowd. This will also be the first weekend that we have the raffle tickets for the big Mother's Day raffle available for purchase...a grand prize of $2500 awaits a lucky camper. I think now would be a good time for lunch, with a chance to see an inning of the Yankee game in the new stadium.

Visit Hypnotist Steve Wronker's Site for Photos

Were you one of Steve's many volunteers last summer? Strawberry Park is always pleased to have Steve perform, and he will be making his 2009 return on Carnival Weekend (May 16). In addition, he will be here on most summer Monday nights and at our Halloween Weekends in the fall. Steve posts thousands of photos each year from his hypnosis shows, including his visits to Strawberry Park. See his website at http://swfb.net or his Facebook page. Brock is looking forward to his return, as "Old Time Rock & Roll" has become his favorite song. I was recently talking to Steve about alternate methods of posting photos, as I have discovered that as much as I love Google Blogger, it may not be the best method for posting hundreds of pictures of activities each week of the summer. Perhaps we will give "smugmug" a try (the program which he uses), as I do hope to continue posting many photos of our campers having a great time at Strawberry Park. A quick reminder that the activity schedule for the upcoming weekend has been posted http://www.strawberrypark.net/current_activities.htm and that this weekend does mark the start of fishing season in CT. Also, our long term campers can be expecting our annual "welcome back mailing" any day now, which includes general info, owner guest passes, golf cart registration forms, site improvement regulations and more.

April Vacation Week...for some

This week seems to be school vacation for many, although some had last week off...and a few have next week off. As a kid, I always thought it was silly that vacation week came BEFORE the start of fishing season (as you can tell, there was not an awful lot to do in Preston when I was a young...er). We had a nice crowd at the Easter Egg and Candy Hunt yesterday morning (see Sunday's blog for some photos), and the 800 eggs that were so painstakingly stuffed by Mrs. Easter Bunny were swarmed and found in about 10 minutes time. While there was still a chill in the air (and some frost on the grass), it was a sunny morning. Our Sunday Bingo crowd was a little smaller than Friday and Saturday (we had over 100 players for those), and many people headed out after Bingo for various Easter festivities, such as watching the last round of the Masters. Saturday's rain started later and lasted considerably longer than most had predicted, and even lingered until just after the Egg Toss at 6PM. We offered a few "rainy day" events, such as a Jump Rope Jumping Contest and a "Simon Says" battle, as well as Bingo and the dance (quite a few dancers for a chilly night). Looks like finally some warmer temps are on the horizon, and the long-term forecast is pretty good for next weekend, which is typically the busisest of the four April weekends. April 17-19 will be the first weekend of horseback trail riding, although we have had Pony Rides on each of the first 2 weekends in April.

Happy Easter from Strawberry Park

Just a few photos from our Easter Weekend, including the Egg & Candy Hunt...

Easter Egg Coloring

"Simon Says" Winners on our Rainy Day Schedule

The adults were better listeners than the teens (no surprise there)

Easter Weekend Egg Toss Winners

more Easter Egg Hunt photos

Bunny Ears and a bunny basket for Easter!

Josh Biber's "Letter to the Editor" in Boston Globe

Many of you know Josh from his days of working on the Rec Staff for his Dad here at Strawberry Park, but since his graduation from Brown University, he served as a teacher in Arizona as part of Teach for America. More recently, he has earned the position as the executive director of Teach for America in the Boston area. In today's Boston Globe, he published a letter in response to a recent Globe article about Teach for America. While I will copy his letter here in the blog, I will also provide a link to the Globe, which would allow you to read the original article, as well as any comments that may accompany his letter. Those of us at Strawberry Park are very proud of both Josh and and his sister Melissa (who recently graduated from Washington University in St. Louis and is now working in southwestern CT, just over the NY border), and their parents were pleased to have them home recently for the holiday. I have told Buck and Sonia that Jen and I will be thrilled to have our kids turn out as well as Josh and Melissa.

Boston Globe "Letters to the Editor" April 11, 2009

I AM writing to address several questions raised in the April 3 front-page article "Hub teachers reject public service corps."

Discuss
COMMENTS (4)
Teach for America's teachers fill open positions in areas of need for our partnering districts. They make up just one pool, among many, of new teachers that local principals have the opportunity to hire. We choose our teachers, many of them recent college graduates, through a process designed to identify individuals with the skills, mind-set, and commitment necessary to be successful in the classroom. Our teachers attend a rigorous training institute, receive professional support throughout their first two years of teaching, and complete university coursework to fulfill state credentialing requirements.
Over the last 19 years, we have worked in more than 100 school districts in 29 regions across the country to provide high-quality teachers in low-income communities. Further, 94 percent of principals who work with our teachers report that they have made a positive impact.
Massachusetts has long been renowned for its educational innovations and progress, and we are eager to join local efforts to increase achievement for all students. I am confident that our teachers will demonstrate their value as educators, colleagues, and dedicated advocates for the students of Boston.

Joshua Biber
Executive directorTeach for America - Greater Boston

link to article http://www.boston.com/bostonglobe/editorial_opinion/letters/articles/2009/04/11/teach_for_america_aims_to_be_of_value/

How soon can you pick on someone who is mildly injured?

While I had mentioned that weekend posts would be unlikely, I am faced with a bit of a dilemma. If someone you know is slightly hurt in a foolish accident, how soon can you rib them? I won't mention any names (yet), but the one-liners were just building up so quickly from so many people, I could not resist. A word to the wise: while Strawberry Park requires rails on all decks, we had not considered needing them on the roofs of Park Models, but...? Since it was apparently "just" a broken arm and some stitches, it has been determined that he is now fair game to be the butt of some jokes. Such as...considering your spouse, couldn't you find a higher roof from which to jump? and this one from an anonymous neighbor "Humpty Dumpty wasn't the only one who was pushed...have you checked your spouse's recent upgrade to your life insurance policy?" While good fences may make good neighbors, they don't generally make for good landings. After so much wavering between a turn shoe and a flip shoe, maybe you've accidentally discovered the answer: pitch horseshoes left-handed. You are lucky that you have the only wife that when an accident occurs and you need to call an ambulance, she can be heard at the firehouse without the need of a phone. There was a rumor that perhaps it was all part of a devious plot, wherein a mysterious man with eyes for your wife placed leaves on your roof, knowing that your wife would then complain about the roof, prompting you to try and rake the roof on a damp and blustery day. Your fall would then open the path for the mystery man to woo your wife. However, the author of this marvelously creative story obviously does not know your spouse. Well, that just about sums up all the mocking that I heard last night at Bingo. For those of you familiar with some of our long-term campers, you may be able to surmise the identity. We do wish him a speedy recovery...and there is always washer toss, which can be played in a cast (and which would be a very short walk).

Here Comes Peter Cottontail (sort of)

Be sure to vote in out latest blog poll...What is your favorite Easter Candy? We hope to have some nice photos to post after the Easter Egg and Cany Hunt here on Sunday morning at 8:15AM. While we realize that is early, it needs to be. Remember, the Easter Bunny arrives in the cloak of darkness, delivering the goods during the wee hours. Do you want to sit there and guard the field? I didn't think so. And don't think that an unguarded field won't get pilfered early by unscruptulous kids without any early morning parental supervision. It happened about 5 years ago. I won't mention the kids' names, because the ring leader is no longer a long-term camper here, but suffice it to say that around 6:30AM, there was a small horde of pre-teens (girls, but that is not really relevant) swiping all the eggs and candy that had been hidden by EB. Must admit that I was not heartbroken when they sold their site that summer. I am pretty sure that Mrs. Easter Bunny is looking forward to filling a few hundred eggs with candy, and that Mr. Easter Bunny is hoping that the little bunnies sleep soundly on Saturday night, so that he gets a little rest before having to deliver the goods all over the world...or at least to the large field at Strawberry Park. After spending an hour at the allergist, looks like Brock's egg allergy (mild to begin with) has gone away, which apparently happens often in little ones. However, they now want him to come back for 5 hours of monitored sporadic egg eating. Does not sound like much fun, especially for an under 2 year old. Although NCAA hoops are over, this is a great sports weekend, with baseball getting underway (first full weekend of games), as well as the Masters Golf Tourney. Best sports moment I saw all week was old man Gary Player sinking a shot on the 9th tee Wednesday at the annual Par 3 Contest at Augusta. Hope he plays well today and Friday in his final appearance at this event.

Easter Weekend at Strawberry Park...coming right up!

Just a few more days until Easter Weekend at Strawberry Park. Quite a few schools are actually on vacation this week, perhaps deciding that since Thursday is Passover, followed by Good Friday, rather than losing a few school days anyway this week, make it the vacation. For those who have next week off, it makes for a long break. Nice to have Easter activities once again, as in 2008, it was so early (March 23), that we did not even have the water back on, let alone any holiday festivities. In addition to the regular events such as Bingo and a dance, this weekend features Easter Egg coloring and an Egg Toss on Saturday, and an Easter Egg and Candy Hunt early on Sunday. Speaking of early, the store, office, arcade, pillow and grill will be closing at 1PM on Easter Sunday. The grill will be serving breakfast menu items only on Easter. Looking forward to Brock's first egg/candy hunt, and we usually have about 50 kids join the hunt (and we split up the younger and older kids). Ironically, we also have an appointment this week about Brock's egg allergy...maybe he will be cleared to eat an egg that he colors this weekend. The long range forecast is similar to last weekend, with some rain on Friday, and clearing over the weekend...Sunday looks like the best day, although still a little chilly. Quick note about opening day, as I was asking Jen if her team was interested in acquiring an overpaid, overfed starting pitcher. Despite Tex's struggles, I still think he will thrive at 1st base for the Yanks. Joanie M has reminded me already that my team is 1/2 game behind hers, and the Sox have not even taken the field. Thank goodness it is a long season...but you still die a little with every painful loss. Congrats to UNC, as they made MSU look silly. Have to believe UConn would have been more competitive, but MSU earned the trip.

..and it finally warmed up Sunday afternoon

Sunday Kickball
Egg Toss Champs

After a chilly and breezy Saturday, the sun came out on Sunday, and the wind eventually calmed down by about 3pm. Interestingly, unlike all of the previous 2 springs, the weather forecasters had called for a nicer weekend than it turned out to be. The meteorologists are infamous for predicting weekend doom and gloom in the 5 day forecast, only to have things turn out pretty fair. I have always believed it was a deep conspiracy between the casinos and the weathermen, since rainy forecasts sway people into altering their weekend plans. Thinking about camping, golfing or going to a ballgame? Not if it is going to rain all weekend--let's go somewhere indoors! And then it winds up sunny. Maybe they have changed their pessimistic nature. Congrats to the UConn women hoopsters, as they held up their end of the Final Four deal. I tried to post numerous photos from the weekend on the Saturday blog, but have quickly come to realize a couple of things. First, far more people than I thought mentioned that they read the blog regularly. Second, I need to figure out how to position the photos that I post, so that perhaps I can include a caption to explain. It can't be too hard (I'll ask Jen). Lastly, the probability of continuing to post on weekends during the spring is quite low. That means I will be posting comments and photos from the weekend on Monday. Also, did anyone else notice the coincidence of the "Simpson's" episode last night being about Moe dating a "little person" (had to take down all the "Dwarf Tossing' signs at the bar)...and the fact that Annie L celebrated her birthday on the same day? I realize I am now in trouble, but I was nice to my mother-in-law ON her birthday (even let her leave with the bigger piece of Jen's leftover home-made cheesecake). Hope everyone enjoys opening day--I heard there is a chance that the Sox will be rained out today (I guess starting the season a half game behind the Yankees will be better than a full game). Congrats to our first "Egg Toss" champs of 2009--Jim & Karen LaBrosse. The beat out a whole bunch of little kids to claim the blue ribbons!

What is today's wind chill?

Could have sworn I saw a flake or two. Even so, had our first pony riders of the season, and actually needed two wagon rides to handle all the kids today. Our Bingo crowd was twice as large as Friday night, with almost 100 players (the big winner took home $177 in the cover all). Getting ready for the Egg Toss and our first dance of the season. Many campers are taking part in the "Spring Spruce Up" and earning credit toward a future stay. Have included a few pictures from today, including some nice artwork from Tyler, and some washer toss players as well. Have not quite figured out how to place the photos more attractively on the blog, but I will learn eventually.

Opening Day is Here!!

Welcome back to all our campers joining us here on our first weekend of activities. While opening day typically is associated with fisherman and baseball players, we consider this to be our opening day. Bingo tonight at 8:30PM, and the arcade and grill will also be open. We have over 100 campers checking in, including many "spring specials", which include now through Mother's Day. While the weather is a little drizzly today, it is looking better for the weekend. Hope to see you soon!

Bingo may no longer be for the birds

While we will probably be upstairs in the Rec Center for the first couple of weeks of Bingo, we are in the process of implementing a system to minimize the bird nesting at the Bingo area. There are all sorts of methods out there, from hawk sounds to mild currents to rubber snakes and plastic owls...and finding something that is effective and PETA friendly is not easy. Looks like we will be trying some "bird bafflers" along the girders. More commonly known as "spikes", they are intended to keep the birds from landing and nesting. Some of our feathered friends get quite brave as the season progresses, swooping down for French Fries. Plus, we are trying to avoid the "good luck" gift that is sometimes offered to the Bingo players below. As there is currently some painting taking place under the Rec Center, we hope to start installing the devices fairly soon, as it is almost the time that some birds are selecting potential nest sites. For any bird watchers out there, you can frequently see wild turkeys in the fields near volleyball, and if you want to glimpse a real ugly bird, those turkey buzzards that you often see circling in the sky above sometimes make a landing in trees as they seek carrion. Although this is not peak season, there have been more and more bald eagles in these parts, with a nesting pair at Pachaug Pond just down the road. Other than that, keep your eyes and ears open for red tailed hawks, as well as some smaller Cooper's hawks...as well as the numerous songbirds that inhabit our region.