Volunteer Parks and Recreation Director resigns
Nobody in line to fill the position
BY PENNY HILTON

New Gloucester--He's been trying to resign for more than five years, but this is the year that Cliff Andrews is finally letting go of the recreation program he directed for almost 20 years...and it's not clear if there will be anyone there to catch it.

Andrews met with the New Gloucester Board of Selectmen at their April 1 meeting to talk about what to do now. The word has been out for several months, and attempts to recruit a new leader for the lapsed Recreation Committee from among its ranks have failed. The committee has not met since last November. But it's coming up on May 1, the date when the tennis courts open, and signs go up, warned Andrews. "Somebody's got to carry the ball...Wherever there is a gap [in town leadership] that's where selectmen have to fill in," he said.

Chair Steve Libby noted that Gray, "less than twice as big as us, has a full-time and a half-time Rec. director, and a $100,000 budget." Selectman Stephanie Bryan countered that "we're a town that runs on volunteers... There are a lot of talented people in this town who don't realize there are opportunities like this..." "To expect someone new to do all that Cliff has done would be a lot," cautioned Selectman Bob Leighton. He suggested re-designating the position as a two-person effort. Andrews agreed that would make it less intimidating, and also agreed to "stay on for a while" to coach and assist new leaders.

A lot of the work, he said, is keeping track of partners and making phone calls. Stephanie Bryan volunteered to personally "make phone calls" to invite people to consider the post.