Residents who take advantage of the Steve Benko Pool at Waveny this summer have a new amenity waiting for them.
About 20 facial recognition-activated mini-lockers will be made available in a single unit outside the locker rooms for those who want to store something small such as a wallet and/or cellphone, according to Parks & Recreation Director John Howe.
“When you use them you’ll go up and put your face there and then you go back and can get in and once you’re back in your face is gone, and it goes to whoever is next,” Howe told members of the Parks & Recreation Commission last week. “So they’re very simple to use. And they also have USB charging ports. So if you wanted to charge your phone while you were swimming, you could. We think it’s fun for the people to actually enjoy. The people who actually go swimming when they leave their stuff.”
The pool will be open Memorial Day weekend through Aug. 24.
The comments came during a Howe’s regular update to the appointed body. He reviewed a number of other Parks & Rec-related matters during the April 9 meeting, held at Lapham Center and via videoconference. Here’s a wrap-up:
Benko Pool: The installation of a backup pump is underway, so that if the main pump ever goes down, the town won’t need to shut down the whole pool, Howe said.
Coppo Field: The winter was “not great for construction” at the new baseball facility in Waveny, Howe said, and the most recent definitive opening date is early-May. There are 23 work days needed to install the artificial surface, and the fence will go in at the same time. Then the field will need to be “top-dressed” with crumb rubber and sand throughout.
Summer Camp: The town’s three sessions with 130 total kids sold out on the first day.
Spencer’s Run: The new key fobs for the dog run users are coming. It has been delayed due to a fiber optic line problem that developed from a separate project.
Tennis Courts: The company that prepares New Canaan’s tennis courts in Mead Park has come and finished its service. The town now needs some dry days in a row to do its rolling before the courts will become playable. “We need to firm them up before people go out there or we’ll suffer all year long with the conditions,” Howe said.
Pickleball at Mead: The contractor who installed the courts at Mead has been notified about peeling on the second court. It may have something to do with the prep of the concrete and it’s “very disappointing,” Howe said.
Pickleball at Waveny: The Board of Finance on April 8 approved a bond issuance which included funds for the creation of pickleball courts at Waveny. Howe said he’s hoping to see them constructed this fall. The formal plans need to be drawn up.
Waveny Playground: The volunteer committee that created the Friends of Waveny Playground has raised $100,000 and continues to fundraise for the project.