Parks and Recreation Director, Barbara Kasbarian 270-4340. Recreation Supervisor, RoseAnn Reggiano. Assistant Director Parks, Carl Samuelson.

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Dickinson Memorial Park – Located on Elm Drive in Newtown, this park is open to Newtown residents only, from 9 am until sundown. Dickinson Park has five tennis courts, softball field, basketball court, two playground areas, a swimming facility with changing quarters, FUNSCAPE creative play area, pavilion and picnicking  facilities, complete with charcoal grills.  A park permit is required on any vehicle entering the park.

Treadwell Memorial Park – Located on Philo Curtis Road in Sandy Hook, this park is open from 9 am until sundown. Amenities include four tennis courts, a ball wall, basketball court, two playground areas, pavilion, multi-purpose baseball/softball field, two regulation size soccer field, and swimming pool complex, which features an eight-lane, 25-yard pool, with a diving “L” and wading pool. Locker facilities are available.

Lake Lillinonah Park – Located at the end of Hanover Road. In addition to a beautiful view of the lake, there are picnic tables, grills and a boat launch. There are portable bathroom facilities and parking. Swimming is NOT allowed, as boats pose too much danger. Open to Newtown residents only.

Orchard Hill Nature Center – Located on Huntingtown Road. Its historical assets include two mills and dams, which date back to the early part of the 19th Century.  Its natural assets include rare beauty, and a remarkable diversity of habitats that provide home to an unusually large number of species of plants and animals.  The construction of a parking area has been completed and several trails have been cut in by Boy Scouts.

Recreation Information: Public use of school gyms, call Parks and Recreation. Public use of Edmond Town Hall gym, call town hall office manager at 270-4285.

Pools and Ball Fields: Dickinson and Treadwell Park users need a season pass, which can be purchased at Parks and Recreation. Daily, guest and non-resident passes also available. The high school pool is also open to residents (see The Newtown Bee for hours). Town ball fields may be used by the public at no charge, but the games of organized leagues have priority. Parks and Recreation prohibits use of fields when it is raining or when the ground is soft.

Programs: Parks and Recreation operates summer day camps and sports camps and offers a variety of activities, including youth and adult golf lessons, gymnastics, karate, t-ball, and floor hockey. Trips to ski resorts, professional ballgames, New York City, and shopping sites are regularly scheduled. Parks and Recreation has many recreational and social programs listed weekly in The Newtown Bee.

Teens: The teen center, known as The Garage, is on Church Hill Road opposite the old railroad station. It is open Friday and Saturday evenings, 7 to 11:00 pm, to all Newtown students. High School nights for those in grades 9 through 12 are every Friday and Saturday night, unless designated for middle school students (second Friday of every month, 7 to 10 pm) or those in grades 5/6 (third Friday of every month, 7 to 9:30 pm). There is a pool table, foosball table, ping pong table, and CD player. Live Band events are held regularly, but are for high school students only. Fees for special events, DJs and live bands will vary from $3 to $7.

Questions: If you have questions about the information above or the following local sports organizations listed below and cannot reach the appropriate official, Parks and Recreation personnel can be of assistance or call The Newtown Bee sports department at 426-3141.

Newtown Babe Ruth Baseball: Organized, competitive baseball in the spring and fall for Newtown athletes ages 6 to 18. Roy Muraskiewicz, president, 270-9241 (email at far1954@juno.com). There are six divisions: Pee Wee (6-8), Minors (9-10), AAA (10-12), Majors (11-12), Prep Division (13), and 13-15 Division. Signups are in January. Visit them on the web at www.eteamz.com/newtownbaseball.

Fairfield County Fish and Game Club: Located in Newtown, CT on 400+ acres, Fairfield County Fish & Game is a sportsman's club offering Trap, Skeet and Sporting Clay shooting. Winter leagues open to the public. A rifle and pistol range, a trout stream and 3-D archery is also available. Contact Ken Kuntz (268-3726) or Fred Meeker (929-8787)

Newtown High School: Athletic director is Gregg Simon (426-7655) and for up-to-the-minute sports cancellations or schedule changes, visit www.nighthawksports.com on the web.

The Gym At Newtown Basketball Leagues: Weeknight basketball for men and women at The Gym At Newtown (formerly Newtown Health & Fitness) on Commerce Road. Call the club at 426-8591 for further information.

Newtown Hikers: Call Ester Nichols, 426-2897.

Newtown Lacrosse Association: Offers teams for boys and girls in grades 4 through 8 and promotes Newtown High School lacrosse. Contact Jack Read, 426-8287.

Newtown Slo-Pitch Softball: Contact Jim Dudeck (270-7877) for Sunday Slo-Pitch, Chris Dennis (270-9457) for Weeknite Slo-Pitch, or Jackie Kulikowski (426-0774) for Women’s Slo-Pitch Softball.

Newtown Soccer Club: Offers in-house and travel/premier soccer for all ages. Hosts an annual Memorial Day Kick-Off Tournament – which attracts more than 100 teams from all over New England, New York, New Jersey, and Pennsylvania – as well an Indoor Soccer Tournament. Contact Jeff Hansen, 426-8435.

Newtown Tennis Association: The association is devoted to the development and promotion of tennis for our young people and adults. NTA provides free tennis clinics for all residents and coordinates and assists the Parks and Recreation Department and donates funds to the Campership Program for needy children interested in participating in sports activities throughout the year. The Executive Committee meets the first Monday of every month at 7:30 pm in the Mary Hawley Room of Edmond Town Hall. Outdoor tennis play begins in the spring with outdoor tournaments, ladder play, clinics, sandlot games, and barbecues. In the fall and winter, indoor tennis and social activities are foremost. The annual general meeting of NTA is in October each year. New members are welcome. Contact Hugh Lavery, 426-2740.

Newtown tennis court registrations: Call Parks and Recreation, 270-4340.

Newtown Babe Ruth Softball Association (Formerly the Newtown Youth Softball Association): Babe Ruth Softball offers organized softball for girls from age 6 to 18 with seven age divisions from Student (ages 6 to 8) to U16/U18 for high school and college players. A more competitive travel division is also offered for U10 through U18 age divisions. Call Cosmo Alberico at 426-1238 for further information.

Newtown Youth Basketball Association: Formerly under the purview of the Newtown Parks and Recreation Department, the NYBA features In-House basketball leagues for boys and girls (Midgets, Intermediate and Junior Divisions) as well as travel divisions for boys and girls (teams in grades 5 through 8). Call 426-1935 for further information.

Pop Warner Football: Organized football and cheerleading for youth, with 89er, Junior Pee Wee, Pee Wee, Junior Midget, and Midget divisions. Contact Mark Collins, 426-0339.

Winterset Ski Club: A family-oriented ski club that subsidizes day bus trips to many Vermont ski areas and runs weekend and weeklong trips to areas in New England and Canada. In the fall, members can purchase bulk-rate tickets to various New England ski areas. Winterset also is a member of the Connecticut Ski Council and participates in Monday Night Racing at Mount Southington for skiers ages 18 to 100. Contact www.wintersetskiclub.org for further information.