New crew leader schedules, oversees maintenance of Monroe’s parks

MONROE, CT — When concerts and Character Nights are held at Wolfe Park, Madison Canalori ensures everything is in place, from the sound system to having plastic coverings over extension cords. She also schedules and oversees the maintenance of Webb Mountain and Wolfe parks, as well as the beach area at Great Hollow Lake.

“It’s all about maintaining safety and efficiency,” said Canalori, a maintainer, who was recently promoted to crew leader — a new position in the Parks Division of Monroe Public Works.

“I don’t think many people realize all the behind the scenes work it takes to have events at the park,” said Parks and Recreation Director Missy Orosz. “They see the outcome, but not all the work that goes into it.”

When the town interviewed candidates for the crew leader position, First Selectman Terry Rooney said Canalori, who was hired as a maintainer last year, stood out.

Deputy Public Works Director Bill Phillips said, “Madison was the best choice we could have made and she’s the best for the position. We have a lot of good workers, but not everybody could be a good leader.”

Two years ago, then-first selectman Ken Kellogg proposed a reorganization of the maintenance of Monroe’s parks, by moving the Parks and Recreation Department’s maintainers to the Public Works.

Prior to the restructuring of the department, Rooney said Park Maintenance Supervisor Russ Tice, who has since retired, did a great job of overseeing park maintenance.

Rooney said the need for a new crew leader position became apparent following last summer’s flash floods, which disrupted field maintenance, and his negotiations with the Public Works employees’ union.

He proposed the new position, which was approved in the last town budget.

A graduate of Nonnewaug High School’s Ellis Clark Regional Agriscience and Technology Program, Canalori had worked as a maintainer at Squantz Pond for the Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection for one season, before being hired as a maintainer by the town of Monroe last year.

Aside from her work for Monroe’s parks, she is a volunteer firefighter for Botsford Fire Rescue in Newtown.

“I just noticed we needed a bit more structure and organization,” Canalori said of pursuing the new crew leader position. “Here, everybody does a good job. It’s just about prioritizing certain tasks.”

“She’s been the crew leader for two weeks and it’s been an amazing transition,” Orosz said. “Sometimes it’s like we share the same brain and complete each other’s sentences. We’re going to start meeting weekly.”

Outside of regular meetings, when a need arises, Orosz said Canalori is just a phone call away.

Before Canalori’s promotion, Orosz said Phillips and General Foreman Shane Everetts handled park maintenance and praised them for their work.

Park update

Grass is growing on new ballfields at Wolfe Park in a project first talked about in 2008, which is now nearly complete. It includes a practice field just beyond the tennis courts and a larger playing field further back.

Rooney toured the park with Orosz, Phillips and Canalori Monday morning.

“This is West Field. The grass is still growing,” Orosz said of the larger field, adding it should have a different name by the time it’s ready for use.

The field could be used for sports like soccer, lacrosse and field hockey, as well as for programs like summer camp, according to Orosz.

“This was a dirt pile,” Rooney said. “We had this whole thing aerated and seeded over. By the spring, we hope to be able to use these fields. You want to establish a strong root base, so it comes back after a season. A little more aerating and another season of over-seeding and it should be perfect.”

Orosz said the two fields will be welcome additions to the town’s rotation.

Rooney said MLS NEXT has been looking for training space, which is something the town could look into, and Monroe will have the ability to host tournaments.

“Instead of a waterline, which is more expensive, the town is looking into wells for an irrigation system at the big field,” he said of future maintenance.

Great Hollow Lake

Impressions in the sand were still visible from raking on the beach at Great Hollow Lake.

“We looked into beach sand, but it’s very, very expensive,” Rooney said, “so we’re continually raking, removing gravel and smoothing it out. But ultimately, we would like this to have beautiful white beach sand.”

“It’s not readily available,” Phillips explained. “If it is, it can be costly.”

The first selectman said the town’s grant writer will look into any funding Monroe could apply for.

Of other work at the park, Orosz said pickle ball courts 5 through 8 will be resurfaced in the tennis/pickle ball area of Wolfe Park this month.

“When we found out about cracks on the courts’ surfaces in May, Terry helped secure the funding immediately, within 24 hours,” Orosz said. “Bill Phillips helped me secure the vendor and Madison and her parks staff swept the area, so people could still play on it while the work commenced.”

Rooney later walked on Field 5, a baseball/softball field. He said a change in the paint mixture diluted the white paint, resulting in faded foul lines on the grass leading to the outfield. “I asked them to change the mixture,” he said, noting the bright white lines now on the field.

“You can see where they seeded and aerated it,” Rooney said of the grass.

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