BLOOMFIELD, NJ — The Bloomfield Recreation Department wrapped up a summer of camps, sports clinics and outdoor movies last week, and is now preparing for a slate of fall activities around town. More than 700 children signed up for camp and 375 for sports clinics this summer, which were spread out around different locations in Bloomfield to maximize social distancing.
“Everything went really well, considering the conditions we were dealing with,” Recreation Director Michael Sceurman said in a phone interview with The Independent Press on Aug. 18. “We were able to get through without having to quarantine at all, so that’s a testament to our staff and our cleaning protocol.”
Normally, summer camp is held in one place, over a period of six weeks, for children in kindergarten through middle school, but COVID-19 protocols forced them apart this year. The youngest campers were at Oak View Elementary School, middle grades at Brookdale Elementary School and the oldest were at Watsessing Elementary School.
“The counselors we hired knew it would be a challenge, with masks and social distancing,” Sceurman said. “It’s a testament to them, and obviously the people who showed up and followed the rules and were honest and flexible. Things change. It’s a virus that you can’t see. I’m not narrow-minded enough to think that (a COVID shutdown) might never happen — it’s just a reality right now. But we valued what we were doing.”
This summer’s programming featured more activity than last summer’s, when the recreation department was able to run only outdoor and drive-in movies while in the throes of the worst stages of the COVID-19 pandemic.
“Movies were all that was possible,” Sceurman said. “It’s something we bolstered. We were able to do that because we own our own sound system and screen — we’re not at the mercy of a company. We’re able to adjust and change quickly and easily. You can pivot on the fly.”
Registration for fall sports and activities begins on Sept. 8. The department is gearing up for its fall concert series, which will end on Oct. 16 with a fireworks spectacular. More information on these and other programs can be found on the township website at www.bloomfieldtwpnj.com/170/Parks-Recreation. Some programs will be in person, others online and still others hybrid.
“We were able to have a successful summer because of our partnerships, with sponsors and with the Board of Education and school district,” Sceurman said. “When kids didn’t feel well, we trusted them to stay home. We’re in it together, so the only way out is together as well.”
Photos Courtesy of Bloomfield Police Department
Bloomfield wraps up successful summer of programming, despite COVID-19 added by Amanda Valentovic on
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