The Waterbury Democrat., 1946-03-19
Patronage Records
 Sho1v Keen Interest
Park Departments Recreational,
 Educational Activities Supported by POO, ,OOO Patrons-Staff of 76 Supervise

200, 900 Patrons
 Editors Note-This is the 3rd
 in a series of articles dealing with the 1945 annual report of
 the Park Department as sub
 mitted by Superintendent James J. Curtin.
 l. Over 100000 people participated actively or passivly, in recreational and educational events sponsored by the Waterbury Park Department during 1945 James J. Curtin, super intendent reports. A supervised program of 30 distinct activities was carried on during the year by the department. Among the major | classif1cationS, within these cate gories, were athletics, swimming, music (Pops Concerts and others), |, dran1atics, dancing, gardening, handcraft, visual recreation, etc. Staff of 76
 A total of 76, including 8 super visor of recreation Civilian Der win), two community house direct ors, community house assistants, and 70 summer playground workers made up the greater number of workers hired to conduct the pro- gram.
 Throughout the year, after school Saturdays and Sundays, Holidays, and during vacation periods, ap- proximately 69 units were operated. These included 13 playgrounds, two outdoor pools, one indoor pool, two wading pools, and 18-hole golf course. 18-tennis courts, a bowling green, 2 baseball fields, 15 softball fields, 5 ice skating areas, 2 com- munity houses, a dance pavilion, and a stadium. Municipal Stadium) comprising facilities for baseball, football, boxing shows, track and public gatherings. Ten block dances also were conducted.
 Playground Program Summer recreation, as usual, was stressed by the Park Department, MT. Curtin reports. In his annual report, as submitted to the Mayor he states:
 While the 1945 playground pro gram wasn't the biggest in point of number of participants, the effort behind it, had to be, and was greater than that of any since the war be- gan. Decreases in playground figures in many cities and towns has been | prevalent the past four years due to lack of leisure time on the part of the 16-30 age group. This has also been our experience with the result that the sport of tennis, for instance, has suffered to the eX- tent that there have been no sen- for or intermediate tournaments.
 There was a marked falling off in attendance of children of gram mar school age due to the fact that the high wage period of the war has made 1t possible for them to go to camps or to take summer resi- dence at the lakes and seashore. Youngsters in their early teens have been taking jobs in stores and this more or less accounted for a minimum of patronage by that group at playgrounds and pools.
 Varied Program
 However, a varied and whole some program was carried on throughout the nine week summer season. Estimated total attendance at the playgrounds and pools was 84,O67. Of this figure, 57,886 pa- tronized the playgrounds; 15,698 the swimming pools; and 1O,48S, the wading pools.
 Although no musical instructor was available for the playgroundS, one of our female supervisors last summer assumed the direction of experimenting with rhythm band" among the children at Full ton Park. It was not the intention of developing a high standard of quality nor was the project aimed at amusing the children. It proved, however, to be the begining. of the development of sense of rhythm; it started the youngsters listening to musical tunes on the radio for reproduction themselves; and in general gave them an increased ap- preciation that they may develop as they advance in years.
 Swimming Program An intensive swimming program was carried out under the direc- ton of specially assigned direct or. Beginners classes were held at the Crosby, Hopeville and Duggan School Pools, the latter center be- ing opened for the first time. Glasses were comprised mostly of girls up to fifteen years of age.
 Baseball, while considered an im- portant part of any playground, is not overemphasized and yet oppor- tunity is given to all who wish to play.
 Probably no other events on the summer playground calendar are more popular than the annual barber shop and Floradora singing contests. Our first barber shop quartet competition dates back to l94l and our chief trouble in stag ing it each summer has been the complaints of the girls that two of the four voices in each quartet I should be assigned to the girls. The idea of the F1oradora Sextet Con- test in which the -..rls would not only have the show to themselves