Published Friday, June 28, 2002
Herald Staff Writer
A playground staffer has resigned, two basketballs have been stolen and attendance is down from past year, but Anthony Retone is not complaining about the first two weeks of the Farrell summer recreation program.
"Everything's going good," the recreation director said Thursday.
The Farrell Recreation Commission's financial problems have not gone away, but Retone decided to pay the coaches after all.
The coaches agreed to work for free when it looked like the commission would not have enough money to pay them. But the school district threw in a little extra money after a plea from Lester Robinson Jr., who serves on both boards.
School directors decided to give $20,000, which is $7,500 less than previous years, but $6,250 more than had been in the proposed school budget.
Even with the extra money, Retone said he probably won't have enough to pay the coaches for the whole eight weeks.
"After this pay period, we're going to see where we're at," he said. "They'll take whatever we can give them."
The coaches, who run basketball, volleyball and physical fitness programs at the school, are paid $7 an hour, while the playground staffers and maintenance personnel are paid $5.15.
The timing of when the school district pays the $20,000 it has budgeted -- the city's $5,000 is already in -- will play a role in how long the coaches get paid.
Most years, the commission gets its check July 1, but a school official said it might be a few days late this year, Retone said.
Some of the commission's assets are frozen. An audit showed the commission did not keep invoices on $20,053 spent in 2001, an apparent violation of the Community Development Block Grant program.
The city has funneled about $10,000 a year to the commission from a CDBG, but that money cannot be spent until the state OKs its release.
City Manager LaVon Saternow said she has not heard from the state what will be done about the violation.
Because of the frozen money, the commission has turned down some funding requests. The latest was Thursday, when it tabled a request from Annette Morrison, who is looking for a contribution to help pay for a cheerleading program for grades four through nine.
The commission is maintaining the Wheatland playground this year.
The commission had not done that for several years. Retone said he talked to a borough employee, who said the borough had done it only because officials weren't happy with the commission's job. The employee said he thought the commission should do it.
"Now, it's on record," Retone said. "We're going to take care of it."
Commission Chairman Riley Smoot said he sent a letter to Wheatland council asking it to contribute to the commission. Council has not met since the letter was sent.
Retone said Wheatland used to pay to extend the program at the Wheatland playground by two weeks.
The Farrell and Wheatland playgrounds will be closed July 4 and 5.
You can e-mail Herald Staff Writer Joe Pinchot at jpinchot@sharon-herald.com