History of "The Rec" "The Rec" began with a small group of volunteers in 1943, and has been dedicated to four principles: volunteerism, service, safety and education. Our mission is to offer family-oriented, summer recreation to residents of the Chagrin Valley. We strive to provide the best possible quality and economic value, while providing a variety of recreational activities for all members. The Rec Center, Chagrin Falls High School and Middle School, as we know them today, stand on property that were the eastern fairgrounds for Cuyahoga County during the late 1800's and early 1900's. The Fairgrounds were predominantly used for county fairs and horse racing but a good ol' donkey baseball game could be found on occasion. As the Chagrin Falls school system began to grow, the school board showed more interest in the facility, using the grounds for approved school events. A lease was drawn-up in 1934 between the school board and the county, granting the board permission to use the grounds in exchange for maintenance and upkeep. The agreement stated the property was to be used as a community recreation park and athletic field. At the time, the property consisted of a half-mile horse track, various barns and out buildings, the covered cement stadium, three tennis courts, two baseball fields, and a football field. In 1935, the School Board agreed to pay for the rental of a cement mixer to be used in the construction of a pool. They would rent the mixer for one month with the cost not to exceed seventy-nine dollars. The Cuyahoga County Commissioners agreed in turn to pay eight-thousand dollars and the ground was set for the construction of what we know as the Senior and Wading Pools today. After construction of a little more than one year, the pool was ready for its first season in 1937. It became an immediate success with people coming from all over Northeast Ohio to take a dip. The school board hired two lifeguards and one attendant for that season, but both lifeguards were fired in less than three weeks. The attendant was paid three dollars per day; the lifeguards earned five dollars. By the end of the season, the pool had closed early and school opened late due to an infantile paralysis scare. For the next season, Superintendent Lewis Sands hired three lifeguards and one attendant. This time no one was fired. For the next few years the pool ran very much the same way and gained in popularity each year. In April of 1943, a committee of nine people
headed by Mayor Gordon Nichols came before the School Board. They
represented summer recreation for the children of the area and
asked for permission to use the pool and other recreational facilities.
The Board expressed their willingness to help but made no decision
at this time. Instead, they wanted to discuss with the county prosecutor's
office how far the Board could The Recreation Council was comprised of a representative from each organization in the village. Throughout the years, little change in the structure of the governing body has occurred. The original Council Officers were: Chairman - James W. Hine The Rec Council has been led by 13 chairmen in over sixty years. The first twenty years were under the direction of Jim Hine. Bill Matthews became the chairman for the next seven years, then Andrew Gorretta, John Lamppert and Russ Mullady. Jim Fitz chaired the program for nine years, then George Bare. Grace Bartley took over for six years, followed by Dan Miller. Sally Florkiewicz, long-time Rec Director Glenn Wyville and Tom Florkiewicz followed consecutively as chairmen. Currently, the Rec Council is led by former Rec lifeguard, swim coach and long-time volunteer, Jim McSherry. Henry Cohn served as CVRC's first Pool Director. In 1945, as the program continued to expand, the Rec Council named its first Summer Director, Ted Gurney, who served for fourteen years. Bill Donaldson followed as Director from 1959-1963. Glenn Wyville, the Rec’s longest running Director and a current Council member, headed-up the program from 1964-1987. Long-time lifeguard/swim director, Jackie Venning was hired as Director in 1988. Jeff Baker was Director from 1990 to 2004. During the first few summers, the swimming program and classroom activities were staffed by volunteers. This too, has changed little over the years. While the number of professional or paid staff members has increased since 1943, the most important and unique aspect of the program has always been the effort and talent of volunteers. Through the years, the support of Chagrin Falls organizations and merchants for the continued operation of the program, equipment and supplies has also been invaluable. The continued growth of the program brought on the improvement and development of the facilities. 1945 saw the installation of a state-of-the-art filtration system, asphalt walks and a fence to the pool. In 1957, after years of fund raising, the Recreation Building became a reality. Leaders in this effort were the Kiwanis and Rotary Clubs, and George Arthur, who oversaw the project. Later, in 1964, a third pool, the Intermediate (middle) Pool, was opened. It was designed as a learn-to-swim pool, with a minimum depth of one and half feet to a maximum of five feet, which complemented the much larger Senior Pool. Structurally, the pools and building have remained intact through the years with no major changes. In 1969, however, the Rec Council faced an emergency. With only two months before opening, the north side of the senior pool collapsed and major cracks developed on the west side. Generous contributions from Madeline Waite and Carlyle Harris plus matching Rec funds allowed for the pool to be repaired in time for opening day. As the 1970 's approached, the tennis courts received attention. The Rec Council added court lighting and court resurfacing. Today, with cooperation from the Chagrin Falls School Board, the Rec consists of three pools, one basketball court, five tennis courts, baseball fields, a gymnastic program, day camp, and many unique volunteer classes. 1981 brought the dedication and renaming of the building to the James W. Hine and Gordon C. Nichols Recreation Building. This was in recognition of their thirty-nine years of service each as active Rec Council members. These men were also instrumental in the conception of the Rec. In 1995 the Chagrin Valley Jaycees donated $30,000 to the "Raise the Rec" campaign. Under direction of Rec Chairman Dan Miller, the building received a major redesign and facelift. The front entrance doors and glass block walls were replaced with plate glass. The office area was redesigned to accommodate the concession stand. The building was insulated, new ceilings, lighting and flooring in the main hallway were added and the walls were painted throughout. Membership for the first season was approximately three hundred members with a cost of two dollars and fifty cents. Today, membership exceeds two-thousand. For over sixty years, members of the community have devoted their time, talents and resources to making this long-running program a success. Compiled by Jeff Baker and Grace Bartley, with special thanks to
Judy Nichols Stratton, July 2002. |
