Ann St. Martin Stout
Leaves Are Free
The Newport Recreation Center, within the next few months, is about to be unrecognizable. A move of several hundred feet south, along Meadow Road, will bring the many activities and opportunities of nearly six decades into the modern age. The old building will be left behind and a shiny new facility will be unveiled.
Exercising here these last few months, knowing that we would soon be in a new facility, gave me a chance to look around and see how truly needy the current Rec Center building is.
This has been the cry of the recreation-minded in our community for several years — probably a decade or so. The current staff, and especially the director and Newport native PJ Lovely, have worked tirelessly to find a plan that fits Newport, rally support and obtain funding for the new site and building.
These same town employees, who do everything from collecting registration forms and payments, to sweeping the floor, to applying band aids, and comforting upset young day campers, have done a job that deserves loud applause.
Further, these folks have scheduled a wide variety of programs, located volunteers and staff to execute these programs, identified sponsors to provide funds for T-shirts, uniforms and general program expenditures.
As I combed through old issues of the Argus Champion (online at richards.advantage-preservation.com/) I found interesting tidbits about the building’s history. When the Armory was put up for auction (in the mid-60s) there was only one bidder. The town then rented from the purchaser (for $100 a year). Multiple uses were proposed for town needs, but the Argus of Nov. 2, 1967, reports “Armory now recreation HQ.”
This same issue of the Argus Champion reported, “The Newport Teen Council, a Newport High School advisory group for the Newport Community Center, conducted its first event Tuesday night a free dance at the Armory. The dance featured the Electric Circus, a “battle of the bands” winner from Concord.”
My own memories involve roller skating around the spacious area when the National Guard Armory on Belknap Ave first became the Newport Recreation center. I enjoyed baton lessons taught by the Newport High majorettes. Later on, I watched my children play basketball, (I played one year there in sixth grade), and now I participate in the adult exercise group a few mornings a week.
Regarding the building as a teen, I wondered why there were doors that resembled garage doors. This was for trucks, trailers and vehicles to enter the building easily at ground level for National Guard purposes. When the building was completed in 1936 it was praised in the July 1, 1937, Argus as a state-of-the-art building, the nicest of the 40 armory buildings in the state.
The insignia on the south facing front reads: Second Battalion 197th Coast Artillery NHNG.
Through the years, I’ve watched the patchwork of fixing up that the eight directors have done since 1967. Of the eight, most held the position for five years or less. Current director PJ Lovely is into his 30th year. Director Larry Flint, much revered and truly invested in Newport, served for 10 years and continues to be involved.
But through these few months of exercise, I’ve noticed other things that the staff has done to make the current situation more workable and fun — cubbies for lockers, a climbing wall, and yellow emoji circles painted on the walks with expressions and reactions. I’m sure there are many other things I haven’t seen.
I feel assured that the staff’s goodwill wanting the best for the community will follow to the new location. Especially the deep-seated care that these rec center employees have for the welfare of the kids. It’s a big world out there, and if folk know how to interact, then they’ll always be welcome.
