Calnan Named New Director
Of Rochester Rec Programs
By Martha Slater

Justine ("JC") Calnan was recently named as the new director of programs for the Rochester Recreation Committee.

Calnan, who grew up in Rochester, graduated from Rochester High School in 2000 and later from Hampshire College in Amherst, Mass. with a self-designed degree in human development through education in the arts. During her high school years, she was active in theater and music and sang with Northern Harmony for many years.

Now living on Music Mt. in Stockbridge, Calnan works at the Skip Mart in Rochester. She has worked as assistant director/director of summer programs for Rochester Recreation for many years and also with the WRVP performing arts camp.

Calnan’s duties in her new position will include coordinating projects with various groups in town, planning and scheduling events around these groups, creating a schedule of these events and projects to be posted publicly, and doing publicity for them.

"I’m hoping to work with staff at the Rochester School and ask the kids what kinds of things they would like to have here and would welcome suggestion from everyone in the community," Calnan said. She said she’d also like to work with the folks at the Park House and the Quin-town Senior Center and other community organizations, since her job is to facilitate recreational programs for people of all ages.

"It’s a new position, and one of my first orders of business will be to try to establish a core group of young people to oversee the skate park," Calnan noted. "I have a lot of ideas for things I’d like to see happen." Some of these include starting a community chorus for all ages, a music club, a hiking club, crafts classes, community dances, theater workshops, a community garden, and more.

"I won’t necessarily be directing each of these programs, but my job would be to find people who would be interested in doing so, either as a volunteer or perhaps paid through a grant," she said. "As a personal goal, I’m interested in finding ways to strengthen the community through activities. I was interested in this job because I love being involved in a lot of things and working with other people. This community has a lot to offer and I’d like to find ways to get people involved in doing things they enjoy and learning new skills."

Anyone who has ideas for Calnan to consider is urged to contact her by mail at 2195 Music Mt. Rd., Stockbridge, Vt. 05772, or stop by the Skip Mart and talk with her or leave a message.

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