The Town of Stevensville’s new Parks and Recreation Department Director Bobby Sonsteng has racked up an impressive list of accomplishments since he hit the ground running in June. Not only is Sonsteng new on the job, the job position itself is new. Part of his job will be working with Public Works Director George Thomas on sorting out what duties and responsibilities fall expressly on the new department.
The first thing he tackled was the Town’s Parks and Recreation website which was in need of updating and is a critical tool in communicating with the community. New driving directions were added, amenities were updated. Just to give people an idea of what is available in the area a Recreation tab was developed that showcases the Lee Metcalf National Wildlife Refuge, Whitetail Golf Course and Fort Owen State Park, all just a few minutes’ drive from downtown.
The department also took some immediate steps to beautify the parks by purchasing new more durable trash cans to promote clean and healthy parks and encourage people to use them.
Sonsteng has met with members of the town’s Park Board and members of the Stevensville Civic Club to familiarize himself with their interests and activities. He said the Civic Club was working on a proposal for a splash deck, perhaps in a couple of the parks and he would do what he could to help facilitate their efforts. He will be working with the Park Board in updating the town’s Master Park Plan.
In consultation with them he is developing a comprehensive summer program for youth and adults.
There are plans for an Art in the Park program for kids at which they make a frame and hold it up towards the mountains and draw a picture of what’s in the frame. Their picture then gets mounted into the frame.
With the help of a local personal trainer free classes may be offered in Father Ravalli Park in “mindful breathing” and some basic yoga positions.
He said he was working with the local Pickleball association to host a pickleball camp.
Sonsteng said that they have also been working on the town’s swimming pool which had some cracks. The pool is currently filled but some issues remain to be fixed. The pool is now open but will probably close early, around July 25, in order to get the final repairs done in late summer.
According to Sonsteng, the town is taking measures in the parks in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. Each park is being sanitized three times a day and the bathrooms are sanitized three or more times a day.
There are three in-town parks in Stevensville that are maintained by the town. In addition, Stevensville owns the Stevenville River Park northwest of town. In-town parks include Veterans Park, Father Ravalli Park, and Lewis & Clark Park. Lewis & Clark Park is the largest at seven acres and includes a swimming pool, Bear Mountain Playground, a skate park, basketball courts, and pavilions for picnics and events. Father Ravalli Park is a smaller park on the south end of town and has swings and a basketball court. Veterans Park is at the north entrance of town next to the former Stevensville Main Street Association office.
Sonsteng said that he was excited about the new position and looked forward to working with people in the community in furthering the use of the town’s parks.