The Salisbury Township Recreation Advisory Committee held a meeting May 20 to discuss topics including new policies related to pickleball facilities, the summer playground program and upcoming events.

In their parks reports, committee members Mark Wilson, Pat Jacoby, Tammy Campbell and Kyle Moye noted the township parks are seeing a lot of activity. As the warm weather approaches there has been a marked uptick in the use of the baseball fields, tennis and/or pickleball courts, playgrounds and pavilions.

In her staff report, Recreation Director Genny Baillie reported interviews for counselors for the summer playground program have been completed. Several counselors from last year have returned and there are plenty of counselors to staff this year’s playground programs.

The summer playground program will begin June 17 and run through July 26. The hours will be 9 a.m. to noon Monday through Friday and 6:30-8 p.m. Wednesday evenings at Green Acres, Lindberg, Devonshire and Laubach parks. This elementary age program is open to Salisbury Township residents who have completed kindergarten through 12 years old. Participants are to register at the park location they will be attending on the first day they participate in the program.

Many exciting activities and events are being planned including visits from the Allentown Public Library which will offer a program with books and coordinating activities at each park throughout the summer.

With the addition of new pickleball courts and refurbished tennis courts it has become necessary to create and in some cases revise rules and policies related to court usage. In an effort to keep courts open for public use, policies aligned with those that previously exist for use of the basketball courts are currently being written and will soon be posted.

Pending the Salisbury Township Board of Commissioners approval, a ceremony will be held in June to rename Green Acres Park the Francis J. “Frank” McCullough Sr. Park. McCullough, was a founding member of the Salisbury Recreation Committee and gave selflessly to the Salisbury community. He is responsible for bringing pickleball to the community as well as the perimeter trail.

As a Recreation Advisory Committee member, he checked on the condition of the parks in his purview daily - dragging the fields at age 94 if necessary.

Christmas may be months away but the committee is hard at work preparing for the tree lighting ceremony at Franko Park.

Committee members have been contacting community groups to participate and enhance the ceremony for residents to enjoy and get into the holiday spirit.

The next meeting of the Recreation Advisory Committee is 7:30 p.m. July 15. All meetings are held in the municipal building, 2900 S. Pike Ave.