HARRISON — While new Recreation Director Kayla Laird knows she has big shoes to fill, she promises she has plenty of energy and will do her best to keep the program thriving.
The Harrison resident’s first day of work was Sept. 12.
She took over for Paula Holt, who decided to explore a new life path after 21 years at the helm.
“It makes me nervous coming in after Paula. She set a really high bar,” Laird said. “I am never going to be Paula but I am going to do my best. She left in a way (that) it’s easy to pick things up and go with it.”
Laird spent her first week pouring through material Holt left her, reviewing online files, meeting with other recreation directors and crafting new events and programming.
The Bridgton native has teamed up with Bridgton Recreation Director Gary Colello to offer a bus trip to the Fryeburg Fair next month.
Attendees will meet in Bridgton at 9 a.m. on Tuesday, Oct. 4 and the bus will return to Bridgton at 3:30 p.m. The cost is $5.
The recreation directors want to coordinate and plan more adult trips for residents of their towns. Laird suggests a Red Sox game or visiting Saco.
Next on the docket is the town’s annual Halloween festival, scheduled from 5:30 to 7 p.m. Monday, Oct. 31, at the Fire Station, 34 School St.
Laird has gone through the Halloween decorations and plans to create some more. New this year will be the photo booth to capture pictures of little ghouls and goblins.
“I am really looking forward to it. I think it’s going to be a lot of fun. We have brought our children there before. They … love it,” Laird said of daughters, 3-year-old Anna and 6-year-old Emma.
She’s already begun working on bringing back the ice fishing derby for kids this winter.
“We haven’t had it for a little while. I know it’s something my family really enjoyed,” she said.
Before becoming the recreation director, Laird worked in the school system after receiving her Bachelor of Science degree in elementary education. The past three years she’s been a case manager for 30 people with the Progress Center in Norway.
“I actually had no intentions of leaving. This job just kind of popped up. I wasn’t looking for a job,” Laird said.
The best part of the job so far is the warm welcome and words of encouragement – through emails and phone calls – that she’s received, she said. This includes words Finch shared about his new hire in his weekly update.
“First and foremost I believe Kayla understands what a huge undertaking it will be and to do so in the public arena,” he said. “Her task will not only be to maintain the excellence of the program, but to continue to also transcend the changing times,” Finch wrote.
For more information about recreation programs, contact Laird at 583-2241 or klaird@harrisonmaine.org.
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