[Reggie Graham]: Our commission meeting will now commence. It is now almost 6.10. And we have some permits that we need to look at and approve. And we have two other items on the agenda. We'll take the agenda items first.
[Unidentified]: I still don't see anybody on the screen, Kev.
[SPEAKER_06]: I'll be as you are still in the U. S. T. H. Yes, I'll be.
[Unidentified]: Would this be Mr. Lasky?
[SPEAKER_06]: Are we taking U. S. T. A. Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah.
[SPEAKER_01]: Hi. Sorry. Just figuring out my video here.
[Unidentified]: Okay.
[SPEAKER_01]: All right. Um, so I had emailed Kevin, um, a couple of weeks ago, um, about potential summer dates. Shut the fuck up!
[Reggie Graham]: We're being firebombed. Yeah.
[SPEAKER_01]: Another person to kick out.
[Unidentified]: What's going on right now? We're trying to rid them. All right, that was the person I wanted to be, I just can't come out. So we have a copy of the email, Ms. Milofsky.
[SPEAKER_06]: Commissioner Graham, can I just ask, because there are some people on here that's not supposed to. Can we first go through the people and see who should or should not be on here? If we can just pause, I know you're supposed to be here. Yogi Pagan, you're supposed to be here. Nikki Hale is here as well. Dave Ferguson. Sue, of course, is here as well. The only person I do not know is Trayvon Diggs. Trayvon Diggs? Yeah. Hey, Kevin, buddy. Why don't you just, like, die, bro? Okay, so I'm assuming this person doesn't belong in here either. So I'm going to take that out. Yeah, yeah. Okay.
[Unidentified]: So that might be us. How about you? I think that's it. Okay, that is what I have for now.
[SPEAKER_06]: You think that's it? I believe that's it.
[Reggie Graham]: All right, so Mr. Lofsky, we do have a copy of the email that you said. So you're looking for additional dates?
[SPEAKER_01]: Yeah, so basically when we're looking at requesting dates for our summer season, because the lights at, or there are no lights at Playstead Park, Um, we kind of have a finite end date for our summer season. Um, so that would mean our summer season starts immediately the week following the end of our spring season. And we typically like to have just one buffer week in between, um, in case we do get a rain out. Um, and since we cannot do this, I was just requesting a different day of the week, Thursday, June 8th, just as a potential date. If we do get a rain out that we could use that date to make that up.
[Unidentified]: I'm embarrassed. So let's see.
[Reggie Graham]: That's a place to pop, right?
[Unidentified]: Yes. And the timings would be still 6 to 8.30?
[Reggie Graham]: Yes.
[Unidentified]: I'm on now. I'm like now on the agenda.
[Reggie Graham]: And then the other day that was mentioned in your email was for the summer session.
[SPEAKER_01]: Yes. So that was the dates just to show that we wouldn't have a week in between spring and summer. If you are willing to review the summer dates now, that would be awesome. Otherwise I can hop on the next call whenever that is. We're just hoping to have dates finalized hopefully by like the first week of May, if possible.
[Reggie Graham]: Okay, so let me just, are you okay with this? Mike? I don't see a conflict. Chris, you okay with this? Yeah, I'm good with it.
[Unidentified]: Okay.
[Reggie Graham]: All right, Ms. Malofsky, there's no problem with that June 8th date.
[Unidentified]: I don't think so. I don't think that happened yet. Yeah, we're okay with that. Okay.
[Reggie Graham]: And then for those summer dates, is it possible to get those approved by the first week of May or do you have a timeline on that? We won't be meeting until the third Tuesday in May.
[Unidentified]: Participant is enabled closed captioning. I don't know. Can you mute that person? One, two, three.
[SPEAKER_01]: All right, that's it. Okay, yeah, as long as I can hop on that call the third, so the third Tuesday of May, that's it for us.
[Reggie Graham]: Absolutely.
[SPEAKER_01]: Great, thank you.
[Reggie Graham]: All right. Now, are you the person that's going to discuss the memorandum of understanding?
[SPEAKER_01]: Sure, yes.
[Reggie Graham]: We don't happen to have a copy of it, so we really don't know what's in it, to be honest with you.
[Unidentified]: I haven't posted on the screen right now. Hello? Can anybody hear me? I can hear you. Identify yourself. Can anybody hear me? We can hear you. That's Ms. Fowler-Finn? Yeah.
[Reggie Graham]: We can hear you, but it's not your turn yet. Are you trying to bring that up, Kevin? Yeah.
[SPEAKER_01]: Yeah, so basically what we did, we started doing it this year for all sites, mostly to have so everyone's on the same page. And we all have, you know, a sheet of paper that outlines all the dates and times that we're looking to run our leagues. So for the most part, it's just, again, outlining the dates and times.
[Unidentified]: I guess I'll just wander around and then I'll be, I'm so embarrassed.
[SPEAKER_01]: the number of tennis courts in the location, our revenue share with you, those details, and then mostly just, you know, what USTA is responsible for, like communication with all the players, all the marketing efforts, that kind of stuff.
[Unidentified]: I can't hear a thing. As far as the revenue sharing, et cetera, et cetera, that. I think you muted yourself. Oh my goodness.
[Reggie Graham]: We might need a new technical director. I don't know. You know? It's not accurate. We're all set? Yeah. OK. So anyway, Mr. Milovsky, I was saying that there's parts of what you're asking us to do that we're not going to be able to accommodate you because we're not party to those agreements. Plus, we haven't seen them, to be honest with you. Can I ask that when you come back in May, we can review this again?
[SPEAKER_01]: So this one that I sent was for the spring season that we were hoping to get signed before that starts in a couple of weeks. I can resend it over to Kevin again if needed. And if you let me know the parts that you need me to take out, I can do that. We're pretty flexible with that. It's again, mostly just so that we both have a copy of the dates and the times and all that information.
[SPEAKER_10]: Wouldn't that be on the permit?
[SPEAKER_01]: Um, I don't know if the, like the revenue share, um, and that kind of stuff will be on it. But if you, if you, if you don't, if you can't find this, then, then the permit will be okay.
[SPEAKER_10]: It's just that it's, uh, you keep bringing up revenue share and then the chairman's asked, um, we don't have anything to do with the, uh, the revenue share. Who is that?
[SPEAKER_06]: Is that between enough? That's how they gave you a park permit.
[Reggie Graham]: So the only revenue sharing is that they pay the direct department for the products?
[SPEAKER_06]: Yes. So they do a split. So when they have a big program, we make more money. If it's a small program, we don't make as much money.
[Unidentified]: No, there's no point. I can't do the meeting anyway.
[SPEAKER_01]: Yeah, so it's a 70-30 split. So we take registration and 70% of that comes to us.
[Unidentified]: What's the point?
[SPEAKER_01]: That's just what we're outlining in here, just so we all have that on the same piece of paper, but it is not mandatory. So if you're not comfortable signing it, that will be okay.
[Reggie Graham]: I don't think that we're the applicable body to sign it with those conditions in there, but I really like to take a look at it before I tell you no, right, no. So if you don't mind, we'll look at it and we can actually look at that offline and have a response for you in the next day or two.
[SPEAKER_01]: Okay, yeah, I'll resend it to Kevin now.
[Reggie Graham]: Right.
[Unidentified]: Okay, so you're all set as far as the date is concerned, the June 8th and the June 21st.
[SPEAKER_01]: Yes, yeah, that sounds good. And then I'll apply for summer dates and hop on the next call for that.
[Unidentified]: Wonderful.
[SPEAKER_01]: Awesome, thank you.
[Unidentified]: All right, thank you very much. Ms. Paula Finn. Is she, is she? She's still having difficulty hearing us. Really?
[Reggie Graham]: You don't want me to speak louder, do you? I don't know, I've been known to.
[Unidentified]: So are you still unable to hear us? I'm gonna go as soon as I'm able to sit here. Let me just. Can I make a motion to table this, so we can sign? Chris? Chris? Do you second that motion? I second that motion.
[Reggie Graham]: All right, we'll table this until we can get ahold of Ms. Falafel. And we'll continue with the permit applications. The first one is the Boston Ultimate Disco Life.
[Unidentified]: Is that her? Yes. She still can't hear me? Ms. Falafel? No, she can't hear us. Does she have an email address? She does. Yes. I'm done. That's it. I'm really, really sad.
[Reggie Graham]: You know something, she might not be able to unmute from her end, right? Sometimes we have problems.
[SPEAKER_06]: No, we can hear her. Oh, so it's not them. It's not. It's not them. It's us. No, we're fine. We're able to continue. We can hear Chris and everyone perfectly fine. Sue's just unable to hear through our computers. It's something on her. Okay.
[Unidentified]: All right. So, uh, the next one previous person is left. Is Mr. Ferguson online? David Ferguson? Here. Hello? I'm here. Can you speak up a little bit? Mr. Ferguson? Is that better?
[Reggie Graham]: Yes, that's wonderful. Thank you. How are you this evening, sir?
[Unidentified]: Good, just add that. Good, just add that.
[Reggie Graham]: We're looking at your applications here, and it's looking like you're looking at two different, two different fields, two different times. And we've had an average bill from May 1st to June 6th, excuse me, July 6th, from 6 to 8. May 18th. What did I say? May 18th. May 18th, yeah. I'm sorry. May 18th. From 6 to 8. And July 11th to August 8th, which is a Tuesday night, from 6 to 8 at Victory Park.
[SPEAKER_03]: Yes, that's correct. Coordinating with. Yes, I've remained here many years now.
[Reggie Graham]: Okay. You don't need anything from us as far as field set up phones or anything of that nature.
[SPEAKER_03]: Cones, no, at least I know in my email to Kevin about Harrisville there was.
[Unidentified]: One other time we went way down in the bottom.
[Reggie Graham]: Sorry, I didn't hear that, sir.
[SPEAKER_03]: Yeah, at least at Harrisville, I know we can play around it, but there is one noticeable potential playing hazard. We can play around it. We can mark it with hazard cones.
[Reggie Graham]: I was just talking about marking off your field.
[SPEAKER_03]: Yeah, mark it off. No, like every time.
[Reggie Graham]: Yeah, we can do that each time we get there.
[SPEAKER_10]: Mr. Ferguson, how many fields will you be setting up within Harris Park?
[SPEAKER_03]: Just one.
[SPEAKER_10]: So Chris, you okay with this one?
[SPEAKER_03]: I'm good with it.
[Reggie Graham]: Okay, Mr. Ferguson, we'll send you your permit as soon as you send in the appropriate documentation to Kevin.
[SPEAKER_03]: Yeah, so I emailed the documentation to Kevin, I think he has it, and then I put the fee check in the mail Sunday, so that should be coming shortly.
[Reggie Graham]: Okay, and don't forget to get your certificate of insurance, okay?
[SPEAKER_03]: Yeah, I initiated that with our league people recently. I haven't heard back yet, but that should be coming in soon.
[Reggie Graham]: Wonderful. All right. Have a successful season, sir. Great. Great. Thank you very much. You're welcome. St.
[Unidentified]: Rayfield School, Nicole Moran, are you on the phone call?
[SPEAKER_06]: A lot of the field day applicants I do not have a representative for tonight's meeting, a school vacation meeting, but it is a standard field day.
[Reggie Graham]: Chris, St. Raphael's Field Day Playset Park, May 26th. I think this is a, they do this every year, 7.30 in the morning to noon. You okay with that? I'm good with it.
[Unidentified]: All right, that one's done.
[Reggie Graham]: Mondays and Wednesdays, just just April 10th, which have we got past the 10th of April already?
[SPEAKER_06]: Yeah, they wanted to start ASAP.
[Reggie Graham]: Okay. To June 12th and then from April 24th to June 12th. So they want to go to Paris and they want to go to Barrie Park. Is Mr. Moran on the phone?
[SPEAKER_06]: No, they did say they were going to bring someone here, possibly a person that was a parent to represent the organization. Well, Harry, is this a young organization or is it adult youth? It's a youth organization.
[Unidentified]: So, you know, I'd really like to do something with this, but, you know, The aid is not enough information. Yeah, what's the score?
[Reggie Graham]: I'm sorry. I'm sorry. Yeah, yeah, that's okay. You know, they wanted to start already, and by the time they get to us, they won't be here until next May.
[Unidentified]: How do people think that they can get away with that? I'll take a motion to table this.
[Reggie Graham]: make a motion to table? Chris? Second. Okay, the table has been tilled such time as we can get a person on the line.
[Unidentified]: Mr. Tufts School PTO. You're the 13th. I can't hear them. It's one of them.
[Reggie Graham]: I'm going to call her telephone.
[Unidentified]: Okay.
[Reggie Graham]: As we finish this one. Is Ms. McGordy on the line? Christina?
[SPEAKER_06]: Same thing, this is one of the PTLs that the parents will be able to attend, but this is a repeat over previous years. There's no conflict.
[SPEAKER_10]: Chris, you okay with this one?
[SPEAKER_06]: Oh, sorry. Nope. I'm sorry.
[Reggie Graham]: We don't have the PTO one right now.
[SPEAKER_06]: This one's not a... This is not a field day. This is knuckle bones coming in. What's knuckle bones? It's an outside measure that does active reach for the kids. So they just come in with a whole bunch of equipment, toys, games, a family network, contracts and all. quite often for their concerts and other activities. I didn't think Christina was going to be here. I thought Christina was actually going to be at this one. This is not a field day request, but this is just a PTO activity outside of the school. And years past these. But this is the benefit the kids are the most important. Yeah. Yeah. So what does knuckleball actually provide for them? They come in with just a different game. So sometimes it's like hula hoops, different ride on toys. I mean, every time is different things. I think it's based on what the person requests. basically long games that they will come in specifically there towards children.
[Reggie Graham]: So the Mississippi school PTO have their own insurance policy or does knuckle bones have to have an insurance policy or both?
[SPEAKER_06]: I don't believe the PTO, I don't want to speak for them, but I don't believe It's common for PTOs to have their own insurance, but I do know Navajo has a certificate of insurance. This may be something to ask as well.
[Unidentified]: Can they provide one so we have it and list the city as a additional insurer? Yeah, that's an ideal request. Yeah, why don't you get in touch with them and just tell them that what we'd like to know is whether or not they have insurance for either or.
[Reggie Graham]: I see that this page two of this has a description of what they're going to do. They're going to have a PA system, a DJ, the serving food on the school grounds, no food trucks, no alcohol, no streets closed, no access to bathrooms, no setup from DPW,
[Unidentified]: an hour before and an hour after to set up and break down the event.
[Reggie Graham]: I mean, it doesn't sound like a bad event or anything of that nature, but I think we just need to have a little bit more since... Well, and I think the bottom kind of explains a little bit more too, where it says to provide additional information.
[SPEAKER_06]: Yeah.
[Reggie Graham]: That's why we're here, to get that information, you know? Yeah. So, I mean, until we can get that information, you know, I'd like to get this is for the whole model.
[SPEAKER_10]: The method family network is supposed to knuckle bones method family network or is it the PTO?
[SPEAKER_06]: It's the PTO.
[Reggie Graham]: So I would combine this with our end of the year chance buyer. There will be a VBA playing music, food, essential, paper, and school. And the field available for the most equipment and activities would be essential to make this event possible. In other words, They would like to have knuckle bones on the field, which means that the kids will be on the field. And so we really need to make sure that we have insurance from knuckle bones.
[Unidentified]: Do you want to do it in lieu of, on a certificate before we issue a permit? In lieu of?
[SPEAKER_10]: I mean, I'm sorry. It's a problem. Thank you. Okay. Yeah, we can do that.
[SPEAKER_06]: One other thing just to be mindful of, I believe this is the one baseball still currently has a field at that time. So if you guys are okay with this being a full event, at the baseball that they need to. For that one night that's June 13th?
[SPEAKER_10]: Do you have a schedule for baseball to see if it's a practice or a game?
[SPEAKER_06]: I did just get the games earlier today. I haven't been able to open up really my email yet today. But I do have some of the games scheduled.
[Unidentified]: They happen to be starting that day. Oh no, I'm sorry. I'm pretty sure that they wouldn't mind going on the field for that one night.
[Reggie Graham]: So two things, contingent upon whether or not they can provide a certificate of insurance and that baseball will allow them access for that one night on June 13th. I think we can give them a provisional permit. Kevin?
[Unidentified]: Yeah, I'm good with that.
[SPEAKER_06]: If baseball does need it?
[Reggie Graham]: Oh, if baseball does need it, then, you know, I mean... We have a little bit of time. We'll get time.
[Unidentified]: Yeah, okay. Chris, you okay with that? I'm good with that. All right. So, uh...
[Reggie Graham]: That's a possibility. Okay. And then the next one, the next one is the field day. And that's, we don't have any problems with that. Because that's at 7.30 in the morning to 2.30 in the afternoon. So we're okay with this? I'm fine with it. Chris?
[SPEAKER_10]: I'm Gilbert Field there. All right. And Mike Nestor is still getting in there from the Parks Department. He's still getting a schedule so he knows when the Pest and Grass will happen for the grants.
[SPEAKER_06]: Yeah, they are getting the calendar. Mike is still- He's doing it. He's doing it until June. I should say the Parks Department. But yeah, the Parks Department is reviewing the calendar. Dr. Gandy, you're on the phone?
[Unidentified]: Go to the table, Dr. Gandy.
[SPEAKER_10]: I think their return, I think. Yeah, but they wanted to. Oh, is that right? Remember the man you were supposed to send down the top, so you didn't want him on the field?
[Unidentified]: No. Okay, and when he went on the field, if it hadn't have been a drought last year, it would have ruined the blast. Why didn't you give me some points? I thought as well. You didn't want him to be there. Okay.
[Reggie Graham]: So we're going to table the United India Association of New England until next meeting. Tell them if they don't come, they don't get a permit.
[Unidentified]: Yeah. Please. Yes. All right. The next one is Winky Face, Ultimate Prism.
[Reggie Graham]: Nikki Head.
[SPEAKER_04]: Oh, hello.
[Reggie Graham]: How are you?
[SPEAKER_04]: I'm good.
[Reggie Graham]: How are you? You want to use Barry Park from May 23rd until August 10th, 6 to 8 p.m. on Tuesdays and Thursdays. Correct. Okay. So you do know that we may have a conflict.
[SPEAKER_04]: I have not heard that yet, but.
[Reggie Graham]: So we don't have the schedule yet for Medford baseball. Okay, which puts us in a little bit of a conundrum. Um, baseball has already been approved for that field. Um, so what we really need to do is find out whether or not they're gonna be using it on those that Tuesday and those third, the Tuesday and Thursday from that period of time. Uh, So I think right now we're really unable to give you the permit that you're requesting until we find out exactly what their schedule looks like.
[SPEAKER_04]: Okay. I know we used these last year kind of in the state date range Tuesday and Thursday. So I don't know if their schedule is different than it was last year, but yeah, we can definitely wait and see. just puts us in a bit of a bind if, you know, we can't get something by end of May.
[Reggie Graham]: So, yeah, you know, um, we'll see what's, uh, next meeting. Our next meeting is on the 16th. I don't know if that'll give you enough time to organize and so on and so forth. Um, but if, if we can find out something sooner, we will give you a call. Okay.
[SPEAKER_04]: Yeah. You can call or send me an email, whichever is easier.
[Reggie Graham]: Yeah, why don't we do that and see if we can work something out. If we can, we'll be more than happy to do it. You are returning permitting, so we'd like to accommodate you. What happened was we didn't use Barry Potts for baseball for the past couple of years. Got it. But Medford youth sports takes precedence. Yep, that makes sense. So we'll be in touch as soon as we know something.
[SPEAKER_04]: All right. Sounds good. Thank you. I'll check in in a couple of weeks too, if I don't hear anything.
[Reggie Graham]: Okay. Sounds good.
[SPEAKER_04]: All right. Thank you all. All right.
[Reggie Graham]: Bye.
[Unidentified]: And, uh, Mark Robards wants, um, Memorial Park.
[Reggie Graham]: And this is his, this is his, uh, summer schedule, right? So he's doing Tuesdays and Thursdays, 6 30 to 9 30. in 7 to 9 30, on Thursday. Was there something, was there a conflict on that?
[SPEAKER_06]: The summer, no. Okay. I think what we talked originally was Mass Biotech, but they go over to Tufts in the summertime, but they couldn't in the springtime because of NYGS. Okay.
[Reggie Graham]: So this is good. Chris, you're okay with this? Yeah, I'm good with that.
[SPEAKER_06]: Before we finish the first, there is one more that I do apologize. I was going back and forth with them. And I didn't realize they were, they did send me the permit originally. I didn't realize that. So it wasn't printed out and put into my file. But there is a family who is looking to have a birthday party at Blythe State Park. And Commissioner Graham, if you remember, I was asking you whether or not they thought this needed to go to the park commission, but the organization has a outside vendor coming in to do like a nerf game, which is a very common vendor. Some of that other departments do use as well, but they're looking for a place at park on April 23rd from 11 to three. It's on a Sunday. So, that they come to the park commission just to talk and decide whether or not this is something that we can give a place for it to be lower field.
[SPEAKER_00]: Yeah, I was told to check the calendar to see what was available for parking. It says youth soccer is going to be using the upper field. So we were just requesting a portion of the lower field. just so we could lock in a place.
[Reggie Graham]: I have it right here.
[SPEAKER_06]: That's you.
[SPEAKER_10]: What's the date again?
[SPEAKER_00]: April 23rd. We're requesting from 11 to three. That'll give us an hour to set up and then an hour for cleanup.
[Reggie Graham]: How many people?
[SPEAKER_00]: It's probably going to be about 25 and under. 25 or under, excuse me. Uh, age group's going to be from, I want to say from eight to 12.
[SPEAKER_10]: What type of events are planned or what type of items?
[SPEAKER_00]: Um, it's like, uh, uh, it's, it's, it's being hosted by a North shore nerf. And all it is is just a mini little obstacle course for the kids for a son's birthday party. And, uh, they provide everything. And, um, just a mini obstacle course, and that's really about it.
[SPEAKER_10]: They're not using spikes in the ground at all to hold up any of the items, are they?
[SPEAKER_00]: Nope. He's got, I already spoke to him about that. They have cones that he's supplying everything with, and we're doing it as least as invasive as possible.
[Reggie Graham]: You're not going to be cooking any food, are you?
[SPEAKER_00]: Nope, no food, nope.
[Reggie Graham]: Recognize that number? Yeah, it's my home phone number.
[SPEAKER_06]: We're on the phone right now. So, the question is, too, though, soccer does, I believe, have that. On Sunday?
[Reggie Graham]: It does, yeah. Monday through Friday.
[SPEAKER_06]: Saturday. No, not lower field, sorry. Yeah, Saturday and Sunday is an upper. Lower field is nothing on Sunday. Yeah, but this is for Sunday. Yeah, sorry.
[Reggie Graham]: So I, you know, for 25 kids, I'm sorry, I didn't write down your name. I'm sorry, sir.
[SPEAKER_00]: Yeah, I go by Yogi Pagan, but my legal name is Eduardo, E-D-U-A-R-D-O.
[Reggie Graham]: I'll go with Yogi.
[SPEAKER_00]: Thank you, sir.
[Reggie Graham]: Have you seen anything wrong with this? Chris, you see anything wrong with this? I'm all for it. Yogi's a good guy. We're gonna need a certificate of insurance name in the city as an additional insurer. And I think the last question that I wanted to ask was whether or not you were going to have prepared food or if you're gonna have cooked food, if you're gonna cook food.
[SPEAKER_00]: No, we may just do small cupcakes for the kids as a party favor. That's it.
[SPEAKER_06]: Okay. You want to send insurance from North Shore NERF, right? You're looking for the company to send you that insurance. Yes.
[Reggie Graham]: Yeah.
[SPEAKER_06]: Yes.
[Reggie Graham]: North Shore NERF has to provide a copy of their insurance policy name in the city as an additional insured for that one day.
[SPEAKER_00]: Okay.
[Reggie Graham]: All right, and contingent upon those conditions, we'll issue the permit.
[SPEAKER_00]: Very good. I'll work on that, and I'll send that directly to Kevin now.
[Reggie Graham]: Wonderful. Thank you. OK. Ms. Paula Finn, I'm sorry that you had to come all the way in here. You couldn't hear us, and we were screaming at you. No, we weren't screaming at you. We can hear you.
[Unidentified]: I've done two meetings many, many times.
[SPEAKER_10]: We could hear you, but we couldn't. I hope it wasn't scary.
[Chris Murphy]: Oh, yeah, you were scary. No, it wasn't. Kevin, leave me alone.
[Reggie Graham]: No, no problem.
[Unidentified]: We're glad that you came down because I was going to call you and tell you that we couldn't hear you.
[Reggie Graham]: And so, you know, Can you tell us a little bit about this, Mr. Lochte?
[Unidentified]: So he just passed away about four months ago, maybe the beginning of January. Very unexpectedly, actually. And he began Pickleball the first summer when it was introduced at Denver Recreation at Hickey Park. And so that was five years ago, five years ago this summer. And he was a member of, he had just retired. He was a member of the senior center and then became on the board of directors of the senior center. Was very loved there. I talked to Pam Kelly about him. And he began on the board of directors in April, 2018. So he's on for four and a half, five years, whatever. And he just, there's a group of the original group of pickleball players, which is now many, many people, but the original group just feels like he embodied the spirit of our pickleball community. He was just so fast to laugh. He wanted to play well, but he also wanted people to enjoy, and he just embraced that. His family, when we went to his funeral, his family said that he, it was just such a great community for him, physically and socially.
[SPEAKER_10]: Where was he from?
[Unidentified]: Actually, he's from Egypt. But he lived in Medford, I guess you'd call it South Medford. And, you know, he had a very good career and so on in the United States. But his family just felt like it was this huge part of him once he retired. And we would like to have a platform. just symbolizing that he committed to not only the senior center, but also to our Pickleball community. So where would you want to put this plaque? Well, it's interesting. I think until the courts are done and we really see them.
[Reggie Graham]: Which courts?
[Unidentified]: Oh, Clark Park. We're eventually having four courts there, permanent Pickleball courts. Does that look like Bells Avenue? I'm familiar with it. Okay, of course you are. Anyway, he attended meetings, a number of us went to meetings to try to promote that we would like Pickleball there. And maybe it would be built on the fence, like they have at Duggar, they have some box along some of the fence that they have for people that help in that community. And I don't know yet, but I assume either on a bench or on a fence. Well, you know, speaking from my perspective, this is not something that we're, it's not something I'm inclined to do. I'll sit the survey, I'll put it to a vote.
[Reggie Graham]: But quite frankly, if we start putting plaques up for every person that played sports in the city, there'd be plaques all over the world, all over. Most of the times that plaques and things of that nature are put up, they've made a major contribution to the city, and not financially, but we're talking about you know, contribution to the sports, contribution to the programs, the rec program. The rec program is what, seven years old, Kevin? Five. So, you know, pickleball, how long have we had pickleball? Five years. Five years? Yeah. Okay, so, you know, in my estimation, that's not really a contribution that we want to Now, you said he was a member of the senior center. I would think that it would be more appropriate to go with the senior center, to be honest with you. Like I said, this is my personal opinion. I will put it to the other commissioners and see if they want to weigh in on it. But I'm not inclined to do that. who actually made a major contribution to the Method sports, Method youth sports. For example, perfect example, Joe Brunicini. Joe, I don't know if you know Joe Brunicini. He used to sit where I'm sitting. He began the Method softball league that was at Memorial Park for a number of years. He ran it and so on and so forth. And, you know, we put up a stone for him and his wife at Memorial Park. But he put in a number of years of service to the programs and so on and so forth.
[Unidentified]: So anyway, Chris, would you like to weigh in on this?
[Chris Murphy]: I mean, so is this okay? Is we this looking to be something that we like I know this is still kind of new to us. So is this going to be something that they that would be paid for privately, kind of like the bench and and picnic table donation?
[Reggie Graham]: Well, she's looking for a plaque. Miss Miss Miss Paula Finn is looking for a plaque.
[Unidentified]: We don't mind buying it.
[Reggie Graham]: You don't mind. No, I understand that. That's not good.
[Unidentified]: I know that's not the issue, but we don't. And I guess I would like to say that, um, you know, I know another car and I know the facts there and the stones there. As a matter of fact, I know one of the families very well.
[Unidentified]: Now I can't take her name was, uh, Julie, all of them. John, uh, her. Yeah. Yes. And I understand the history of all that. This isn't more about history. It's more about we didn't have a kickball community. A number of people worked on it for a long, long time. And then a group of us sort of took the next wave. And he was really a part of it that embraced people. And if you saw our community, now down at Thunder Park.
[Reggie Graham]: I do, I see it every morning.
[Unidentified]: It's like saving people's lives who just retired, or lost a spouse, or just haven't been exercising, and it happens a bit today. And he just embraced that, and we all feel that. I'm not gonna argue with you about this. I think however your process is, it's fine. But a lot of people would be very sad that we can't do that, that we can't have him where he's really shown. That's all I'm saying. No, I understand. I understand how you feel.
[Reggie Graham]: I mean, when you've been in the trenches with somebody, you'd like to make sure that they get honored or noted or what have you. But like I said, I don't believe that.
[SPEAKER_10]: I don't know. When is the parks going to come online?
[SPEAKER_06]: They're going to start building it somewhere around July, so. Of this year? Yeah. So we're looking at probably the following year or maybe into that. I don't have a final timeline, but the pickleball courts is part of phase one, so I'm hoping that's going to be in the early stages of things.
[SPEAKER_10]: We may not have until 2026 to get off the ship. What would the plot say?
[Reggie Graham]: A number of things that people said about him, that he was the head of the dream team, that he was a spirit.
[SPEAKER_06]: Just a couple little sentences about him.
[Unidentified]: So why don't we do this? Why don't we table it for now, okay? Because the park isn't even, they haven't broken ground or anything of that nature, okay?
[Reggie Graham]: And maybe we'll have, and quite frankly, I'd really like to have all five commissioners here to weigh in on it, to be perfectly honest with you. I know what I feel, but I think that there's, or other commissioners that have thoughts, and we vote on it. So I think, quite frankly, I'd want to wait on this. Where are those commissioners tonight? Well, one of them has to work, and one of them is on vacation. We do have a quorum, so we're legal and reputable, or maybe just legal. Can we do this? Can we table this until such time as they break ground at Carp Park?
[Unidentified]: And then we'll revisit it at that time?
[Reggie Graham]: I mean, I don't think we want to make a decision tonight on something that's very well might not occur for at least a year or two.
[Unidentified]: You know, we really do appreciate you coming down here to present your candidate.
[SPEAKER_06]: Okay. All right.
[Unidentified]: Well, thanks for your time.
[SPEAKER_06]: As you know, Sue does a lot for the Peppermint Ball Program as well.
[Unidentified]: Melissa and I open every morning, seven days a week. We open by 8.30 and we close at 11 promptly because that's what our designated hours are. We know people want it open later. today. My husband's about to have surgery tomorrow. He's got to get home.
[SPEAKER_10]: He's scheduled for surgery tomorrow?
[Unidentified]: Yeah. Anyway, so... Is he all right? Yeah, but it's major ankle surgery. It's going to be out for about six months to a year. So... That's not complaining pickleball, is it? Well, actually, it happened on pickleball court, but... Anyway... Well, don't tell him until after he gets out of surgery.
[Reggie Graham]: Well, he's waiting in the car.
[Unidentified]: Anyway, I love my kind of thought. You know, we do it because just because we want it open and closed every day and people depend on us and somehow we got into this unpaid volunteer situation and We're really looking forward to car opening because then we can get out of that situation actually. But it's a whole community and we work and try to embrace anybody. And if we have a beginner work on the court, we just smile and say, okay, come on. And as Kevin knows, we get at least five communities are coming to Duggar and we're overloaded. We're completely full. We have, even on FAB, we play all winter long. As a matter of fact, Joan Lovett's grandson just texted me last week and said, I can't believe you guys play when it's this cold out. I mean, he just, he could see it from his backyard. And we have six courts filled and we could have 20 people waiting. 20 people waiting. Anyway, that's all. I gotta go home and eat.
[Reggie Graham]: Well, like I said, we do appreciate you coming down. We were about to call you.
[Unidentified]: No, that's all right.
[Reggie Graham]: But I think what we really need to do is make sure that we have everybody here. Right. So have everybody weigh in.
[Unidentified]: That's fine. If I have to come and do a spiel again, it's fine, because I think it's worth it.
[Reggie Graham]: I understand. All right, and listen, tell your husband I said good luck on the show. You don't know who my name is, do you?
[Unidentified]: Okay. Yes, you do. Yes. All right now.
[Reggie Graham]: Do we have anybody else on the call?
[Unidentified]: No. Can you make a motion?
[Chris Murphy]: Make a motion to adjourn.
[Unidentified]: Second.
[Chris Murphy]: Meeting is adjourned. Have a good day.
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