By TERESA ANICOLA
Courier-Post Staff
Regardless of interests or age, Medford's recreation department strives to offer something for everyone after a boom in recreation facilities here.
From Mini-Munchkin Programs for children, to sports and social programs for teens, adults and seniors, all sorts of programs can be found at the recreation department.
"We have come up with a well-rounded variety of programs for everyone," said Beth Richmond, recreation director.
The township has spent about $15 million on recreation facilities, programs and open space preservation since the 1990s. Much of the recreation spending has been to build sports facilities to serve the many children and their families who have moved here, officials said.
While Medford's overall population rose by 8.4 percent from 1990 to 2000, the number of young children through age 14 grew by almost 50 percent more than that during the decade, according to U.S. Census Bureau data.
With many ballfields and a skater's park among the new facilities, upcoming township recreation projects will include bicycling and walking paths, officials said.
"It's a whole quality of life issue,'' Richmond said. ``One of our future plans is to create a five-mile walkway along the Southwest Branch of the Rancocas River off Branch Street. We want to keep it all natural with established trails. The state already stocks it with fish."
Already, township children have their choices of joining instructional athletic teams such as T-ball, track, girl's field hockey and soccer. Teenagers can join sports leagues such as boys and girl's basketball.
According to Al Feit, township manager, many of the recreation facilities were built so that the land they were on would not be developed into housing tracts.
A township inventory of Medford sports fields includes seven soccer fields, four multi-purpose fields, two football fields, four tennis courts, five little league baseball fields, three teen league baseball fields and nine softball fields, officials said.
The newest facility, Freedom Park on Union Street, was opened in 1999. Within the park is a popular skate park which opened in 2000. Freedom Park also has multi-purpose fields, sand volleyball courts, basketball and boccie courts, pavilions, picnic areas, and a place for dogs to run.
The recreation program also works in conjunction with the Medford Youth Athletic Association. Many of the children who grow out of recreation programs, enter the MYAA's more competitive organized leagues, said Karen Alecxih, the association's commissioner of field hockey. Alecxih also coaches a league softball team.
A native of Medford, Alecxih has been involved in athletics since she was a child.
Her three daughters, the youngest of which are twins, are following in their mother's footsteps.
She enrolled her girls in the recreation department's s instructional leagues. Alecxih feels the leagues are fundamental to her children playing and understanding the games.
"I just love sports," said Alecxih, 37. "Playing sports makes children feel confident and that carries over into other areas of their life such as meeting new people and learning discipline.''
Despite the expansion of recreation facilities and programs already undertaken, there are no plans to stop now, officials said.
"We're now focusing on passive recreation, by creating bike paths, hiking paths and walkways," said Richmond.
According to Feit, one of Medford's long-range plans is to create bike paths throughout the community.
Today and Tomorrow stories:- Medford improves as growth slows
Already perched between the Pinelands to the east and suburban sprawl to the west, the township finds itself at another crossroads. - Schools prepare for more students
Thirty years ago, the rising tide of kindergarten enrollments here led to their classes being held in churches. - Support for the downtown is drawn from local events
An estimated 20,000 people crowded the downtown at the township's Dickens Festival recently amid character actors, jugglers and a barbershop quartet. - More kids beget more places to play in Medford
Regardless of interests or age, Medford's recreation department strives to offer something for everyone after a boom in recreation facilities here. - Fewer, but costlier, new houses limit first-time buyers in Medford
Medford native William Degnan, 63, bought a retirement home in Marlton, but it didn't suit the active lifestyle he and his wife enjoyed. So the couple decided to return to Medford, where they bought a larger and more expensive home. - Programs abound for rising number of elderly
In the past 10 years, Medford's senior population has risen almost 18 percent and that trend is expected to continue as baby boomers hit their retirement years.