Guests sampled and voted on more than 30 hot and mild chilis prepared by amateur cooks and local restaurants at the 9th annual Chili Oktoberfest , held in conjunction with the Murrysville-Export Rotary , although it wasn ’ t so chilly this year with temperatures in the 70s ! Rivertowne beverages , hot dogs , the Just JJ and Barry band , kids ’ activities and more were enjoyed by more than 300 hungry guests and cash prizes were awarded to 1st and 2nd place in each category . This annual event , which supports the Rotary Polio Foundation and the Miracle Field Complex , will be held again in October 2017 ; don ’ t miss it !
December 2 ushered in the holiday season with Night of Lights at Town Square and 1st United Methodist Church . With a recordsetting attendance , Santa arrived with his reindeer and visited with all of the good boys and girls and his reindeer enjoyed eating carrots all night long ! The gingerbread house contest saw 23 entries and more votes than ever , which benefitted the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation . Thank you to our volunteers , local businesses and organizations that made this fun event possible .
The local business community and many individuals are continually supportive of our Department ’ s events and programs by providing sponsorships to ensure their longevity and costeffectiveness for participants . Thank you cannot be said enough !
Field Use and Maintenance
Park sports fields continue to be in high demand for organized sports organizations and general community use . Franklin Area Midget Football Association , Franklin Regional Athletic Association , Murrysville Area Soccer Association , Boys and Girls Lacrosse , numerous community sports teams and individual enthusiasts alike utilize every sports field available during the months of April- November . Year 2016 generated about $ 20,000 in fees collected for field use , which helps to offset annual maintenance costs .
Recreation Programs
Summer Recreation Programs remain popular , garnering 604 registrations for more than 50 programs for participants ages pre-K through adult . Programs included : Pioneer Camp , Fencing , Home Landscape Series with Plumline Nursery , Brick4Kidz , Minecraft , Theater Camp , Ready-Set-Run 5K Camp , Princess Camp , Safety City and more . Ninety-one ( 91 ) children registered for the Playground
Program and visited 598 times to five ( 5 ) different parks over seven ( 7 ) weeks . New instructors brought new activities to the program and even more fun games are planned for 2017 . The program is offered for four ( 4 ) hours each day and no pre-registration is required . It ’ s a great way to have safe , supervised fun with friends in the summer !
Students became strong , safe swimmers and advanced through required levels during the six ( 6 ) weeks of Red Cross Swim Lessons offered at the Franklin Regional Middle School pool . The 152 registrations received filled up limited lesson spaces very quickly . Thank you to Franklin Regional School District for its partnership in this program .
Summer ’ s youth journeyed through time at the Sampson Clark Toll House and learned the history of Murrysville , Forbes Trail and our Toll System while at Pioneer Camp . Campers also enjoyed cooking on an open fire , learning daily chores , visits from General Grant and a Native American Indian , and a trip to historic Hanna ’ s Town . Members of the Murrysville Historical and Preservation Society donated their time and talents to ensure a wonderful camp for everyone . Thank you to all and the Department is excited for more historical fun this summer !
Be an MVP !
The Murrysville Volunteer Program debuted with a mission to increase volunteer awareness and engagement in both community and municipal roles . The Program ’ s emphasis is to establish a robust volunteer matchmaking service to meet the needs of our community , as was recommended in Murrysville ’ s Comprehensive Plan . The Volunteer Program has specific goals to ensure the vision is achieved ; these goals include raising community awareness needs for community volunteering , streamlining existing volunteer efforts to increase volunteer participation , serving as a conduit for residents who are interested in volunteering , enhancing relationships between local service organizations and the Municipality , and increasing knowledge of Municipal operations and volunteer opportunities . More information can be found by visiting the Municipal website at http :// murrysville . com / volunteerin-murrysville /, by searching Murrysville Volunteer Program on Facebook , or by calling 724.327.2100 , Ext . 115 .
Department Information
Information regarding Murrysville Recreation Department Programs and Events can be found by visiting http :// murrysvilleparecreation . com /, in the Penn-Franklin Newspaper in our bi-annual supplement , or on Facebook at Murrysville Recreation Department . The Department can also be reached by phone during normal working hours at 724.327.2100 , Ext . 131 or Ext . 115 . urrysville MUNICIPALITY OF MURRYSVILLE NEWS
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