By GLYNIS HART
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CLAREMONT – Arrowhead Recreation Center will open soon, but volunteers are needed.
Chuck Allen of Arrowhead appeared before the city council on Nov. 13 to make an annual request for more funding. The recreational snow hill draws over 5,000 visitors over the winter season.
Mayor Charlene Lovett expressed frustration that the city hears the same requests from Arrowhead every year. “Their budget line is very small,” she said.
Arrowhead is owned by the city and costs the city about $18,000 in support each year. “If we’re really talking about attracting people to the community, this is one of the attractions,” said Lovett.
Allen said they need people, and they need money. “We need behind the scenes help; people to serve on the board of directors; diesel mechanics; facility help.”
Arrowhead has training classes starting soon for some of the more complicated positions, like working with the lift. He said they’re starting this year a little behind because of injuries and weather.
The recreation center behind the middle school was acquired by the city in 1974 and is a little-known gem, with affordable lift tickets for skiing, tubing and snowboarding. For instance, an adult and child (7 to 14) can ski all day for $16. Families view it as a safe and affordable place to bring youngsters to learn how to ski or snowboard, or go tubing.
“People come from Massachusetts and Connecticut to get lessons because it’s cheaper,” said Allen. The slope on Flatrock Hill is steep enough to challenge adults and lacks the crowds of large, well-known ski areas. Allen related that one couple told him they had skied Okemo on Saturday and came to Arrowhead on Sunday: “They said they should have come here first.”
Allen said the center has pressing needs: a new roof, replacement of the single-pane glass windows and doors installed in 1961, and replacement of the main furnace.
“We need and desire to replace one of the two heating systems at the facility,” said Allen. “It came from Unity school in 1994. They didn’t think it worked right, so they gave it to Arrowhead.”
Lovett said the recreation center asks for more money every year and nothing gets done. “What I’m interested in is seeing a concrete plan, because nothing has changed as long as I’ve been sitting here, and we want to protect the investments that have been made by the city and the recreation center club over the years.”
City Manager Ryan McNutt said he would meet with Arrowhead Recreation Center Director Mark Brislin as part of the city budget process.
Councilman Nick Koloski wanted to look into energy efficiency or possibly a solar installation at the facility. Councilman Scott Pope wanted the facilities’ needs added to a capital improvement plan for the city.
Brislin took the podium to say they’ve submitted requests every year for the last several years, “but it hasn’t gone beyond that. We could put that in an upcoming agenda,” he said.
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