Parks, Recreation & Trails

Mission Statement

The Conway Parks, Recreation & Trails Committee’s primary mission is to create and oversee recreational activities for townspeople of all ages in order to promote community as well as healthy lifestyles.

Responsibilities

  • Provide seasonal events for varying age groups and interests.
  • Provide oversight of the maintenance and/or improvements to the existing town field property and town-owned common areas and future town recreational areas).
  • Provide collaboration with other related town committees (e.g. Trails Committee, Land Use Committee).
  • Provide oversight as needed to Conway Youth Sports.

The Parks & Recreation Committee meets the second Wednesday of every month at 6:00 PM at the Town Office. We welcome your ideas!!

Committee Members

  • Deb McGranaghan (Chairperson)
  • Carol Kurkulonis (Secretary)
  • Craig Warner
  • Tara Guild
  • Dave Beaudet
  • JJ Prusak
  • Robert Anderson (Trails)

You can email the committee by clicking here.

Park Improvement Projects

The committee has been working on various projects over the last few years including looking to improve Memorial Park as well as drainage repairs and overall improvements to the Town Field.  Information on these projects, documents, and presentations can be found here.

Skating Rink

Residents skate on Martin Luther King Day 2012

The ice skating rink at the town field was constructed in one of the last weeks of 2011 by a very ambitious group of volunteers.  Volunteers spent hours researching and developing a promising yet cost effective skating rink.   Time has been spent organizing the project, building partitions, construction, lining, adding sand bags, creating signs, adding kickboards, pumping water (many, many times), installing temporary lighting, repairing a donated snowblower, and even engineering and building a home-made zamboni.  Managing and maintenance of the rink is not an easy task.  The rink can only be used when it is solid and not starting to deteriorate due to warm weather (skating on the rink in warm weather creates unrepairable damage).  Flooding, adding water, and resurfacing is very tricky and must be done at ideal freezing temperatures, normally late in the evening.  The volunteers thank everyone for their patience and understanding given many of the restraints of maintenance.  We will post rink status updates below as timely as possible.

Rink Status:

  • [3/12/2012] We hope some folks had a chance to use the rink for the short time it was usable this year.  With the second warmest winter on record, this was not an easy year to try the rink.  Plans for next year are hopeful, but unknown at this point.  The rink will be taken down by March 25th.  Thanks for all the support and volunteer efforts.

Conway Swimming Pool

The Conway Community Swimming Pool is NOT a town owned facility.  The pool is owned and run by an entirely separate organization, Conway Community Swimming Pool, Inc.  For information on the pool, please go to www.ConwaySwimmingPool.org.
There is a 2012 Town Warrant article to purchase a conservation restriction on the pool property using CPA funds.  Download the presentation here.  Conway Swimming Pool Preservation

Upcoming Events

  • Thursday, April 26, 7:00 PM at the Grammar School - Public Informational Meeting on the Town Field drainage and improvements project.  The committee will be requesting $90K from free cash at Annual Town Meeting to pay for the required engineering and permitting to move the drainage repairs and park improvements forward.  The funding is necessary in order to apply for grants for project construction.
  • Friday, May 25, 5:30 – 7:30 PM at the Town Field – Playground Potluck.  Come join us at the town playscape. Let the kids play while you relax with other adults. Bring a dish to share and your own drinks.  For more information, contact Jim Bosman 369-0326 or jimbosman@hotmail.com.

On-going events

  • Conway Ultimate! Sundays in July and August at the Town Field 5:00 to 7:30pm. Come join in a weekly pick-up game open to all ages and genders. Some basic disc skills are desirable, but we are looking to have fun. Ultimate stresses sportsmanship and fair play. Competitive play is encouraged, but never at the expense of respect between players, adherence to the rules, and the basic joy of play. Bring a disc and water, no cleats. Questions or suggestions? Gerry LeBlanc at gerry@gerryleblanc.com.

Trails Information

In October, 2008, the Conway Trails Committee merged with the Conway Parks & Recreation committee bringing Walter Goodridge as a new Parks & Rec committee member. Thanks to Walter and other previous Trail Committee members for producing a map. Also thanks to Western Massachusetts Electric Co. for granting the funds to make this possible.

Please enjoy and respect our trails. Stay off posted property. Carry in, carry out. Respect the Town of Conway Leash Law.

Map Legend
White = State Forest Boundaries
Blue = Town Land

Download the Map (2MB)

Photo gallery