Berks County Connection Podcast
Learn how Berks County government works with the County Commissioners, County Controller, and other row officers.
Berks County Connection Podcast
Berks County Parks & Recreation Department
Use Left/Right to seek, Home/End to jump to start or end. Hold shift to jump forward or backward.
Learn about the events and activities offered by the Berks County Parks & Recreation Department from their Assistant Director, Dan Roe, Recreation & Special Events Supervisor Lisa Gauker, and Historic Resource Supervisor Jess Chemich. With host Joe Rudderow, Berks County Controller
Welcome back. This is County Controller Joe Ruttero for another episode of County Connections. It's always great to be back in front of the viewers and to share local government, specifically county government. Today I am joined by Daniel Rowe. He is the assistant director of the Berks County Parks and Recreation Department. Also, along with Dan, I have the pleasure of introducing Jess Chernick, she's the Historic Resource Supervisor, and also Lisa Gocker, who Lisa is the recreation specialist and event supervisor. Welcome. Thank you for having us. Yeah, absolutely. Looking forward to really getting a chance to learn more about our parks in the county and appreciate your time. Given this time of year, you probably have a lot of places you could be, right? So we're glad that you carved out a little bit of time to share with the viewers all of uh what our park system has to offer. Um so traditionally I like to kind of start the program getting a little bit of a sense of history. And I know in some of the row offices and stuff, you know, this dates back to the count the founding of the county and and everything. But just for the viewers' sake, roughly speaking, when did the county first kind of have a park and uh recreation department? When when do you think that was, if you know?
SPEAKER_03Yeah. Um so in uh we usually talk about it in one of two ways. Um maybe the earliest date you could think about would be 1935, believe it or not. There was an early recreation board that was formed. At some point, that merged into a recreation and more parks. Uh, but we'll usually look at the early 1960s as when the park system really got going. So at that point, the county was acquiring lots of different properties. Um we'll talk more about some of our parks in detail, but the Topehawkin Creek Valley system, which includes Greens Mill, the Burke's Leisure area, the Heritage Center, most of those parks were coming online at that point, uh, right around the old Union Canal. And so our trail today follows that. And uh our first director, incidentally, was Bill Simmel, I think formally in 1968. So some ways we're kind of new in the scheme of things.
SPEAKER_02Well, yeah, I would uh it's it seems kind of new, 1968, although that was a long time ago. Um, and uh and so but yeah, in comparison to the age of the county, um, and of course, you know, with uh with us headed into the celebration of our 275th right uh anniversary of the founding of the county, uh it's exciting time. And I and and I'm sure as we get into the program a little bit, you might share with the viewers some things that maybe maybe the parks is looking to do to help celebrate that.
SPEAKER_03Yeah, not only for the 275th with the county, but also this year with the United States and the 250th as well. Okay. Yeah.
SPEAKER_02Well, and if you if that's a good place to start, Dan, then then maybe just share a little bit about what what are some of the plans for this year's 250?
SPEAKER_03So within the park system, we've been thinking about uh this year for uh a little while now, I'll say, and uh we'll have a larger event hosted at the Berks County Heritage Center on June 20th. And if anybody is familiar with our Americana concert series that we've had, and uh I'll let Lisa jump in if you have anything to add. Uh but we've had that for several years. So what we're going to do is uh we're gonna move the concert to the Heritage Center this year, and then prior to the concert, we'll have a day-long event of different historical activities, reenactors, demonstrators, all throughout the grounds there on the Heritage Center.
SPEAKER_02Okay, and and I guess this is probably a good place to say, and and I'm sure we'll circle back to a lot of uh different topics, but um what is the best way for the viewer to find out exactly what you guys have planned uh and when that would occur? And and if you want to share with the viewers uh what they could possibly, you know, if it's uh a magazine or if it's a website or or something along those lines.
SPEAKER_03Um the county website's a good place to start. So the parks department, we have our own page within the county website, so we have lots of information about uh our parks, what amenities are there, if you're interested in reserving uh one of our rental spots uh as well as upcoming programs and events. We also have a uh, I like to think a fairly robust social media presence. Um so we're on Facebook at uh Berks County Parks, uh so folks can find out a lot of information there too. And that's that's really a good real-time, you know, anything.
SPEAKER_02It sure beats printing, right? You're like, whoops, uh that can't happen now. Now what do you do, right? So at least on the website you can update that. Yeah. And uh and I would imagine so that's great to hear you're on social media. Um and of course, you know, the website being uh burkspa.gov, and you would click on uh uh I think parks and recreation, or is it just recreation?
SPEAKER_03Parks and rec, it's under, I believe, from the county homepage. There's a uh there's some menus right on the middle there in that middle column. I think we're under land development uh for what it's worth. But if you just search us too, we pop up pretty quickly.
SPEAKER_02Okay. Good to know. Well, um now I'd be remiss if I didn't I didn't circle back, so obviously you're the um assistant. Um, but let's talk about who is your director of uh parks and recs.
SPEAKER_03Yeah, our director is uh Brendan Letterer. Uh he's been in that position um uh uh I guess closing in on about two years now. Uh he's been with the county park system uh for 14 years in some different capacities.
SPEAKER_02Good, good. So now and then why don't we explain to the viewers the structure? So he he is the um I guess the the head of the of parks. Uh is that an a is considered the director or you're the assistant, and then from there, why don't you share with the viewer some other roles within the parks?
SPEAKER_03Um Yeah, so we're a uh a multifaceted department. Uh I think we have our basic uh organizational chart up there for everybody to take a look at. Perfect. You have director, um deputy or assistant director, uh, then we have a series of supervisors, and they are more specialized in what they oversee. So for instance, Jess uh is our historic resource supervisor. She's based at the Heritage Center. She operates the day-to-day operations there, but also helps with the management of cultural assets that we have throughout the park system that may or may not be open to the public, but are resources that we're tasked with caring for. Um Lisa deals with the special events and recreation, which is really a catch-all for almost any public programming uh we offer outside of the cultural lens, I'll say. Uh we do have the other major part for us is maintenance. So if you think about all that we're tasked with caring for, uh we have a um a maintenance crew of uh, I believe 16 full-time staff. We have a maintenance supervisor, um, and so we we sort of look at programming and maintenance all under one umbrella, but a lot of different things are are taking place within the department.
SPEAKER_02Now, do you have um like park rangers? Okay. Yes, and is that different than the maintenance group?
SPEAKER_03Yes, so the park rangers, another element here, they're uh separate from maintenance. Um we have two supervisors that that manage that. So we have uh full-time and part-time rangers that are pretty much they're on call 24-7 during our regular hours of operation. So that's another another aspect for sure. Yeah.
SPEAKER_02So all in all, how how big is the the parks department? Uh if you, you know, rough numbers, uh, you've named quite a few positions. We we don't need to go through all of them. Sure, yeah, yeah. But because I'm interested in hearing um uh more about specifics with the park, but what would you say the number is?
SPEAKER_03So we have nine, uh what we usually refer to as nine parks within the park system. Um and some of those are concentrated along the Topehawken Creek, but we have some spread out, such as Antietam Lake Park, uh, which viewers might be familiar with. That's actually our largest park by size. Uh yeah, almost 670 acres.
SPEAKER_02So uh so it's more than what you just see with the dam and the water body there.
SPEAKER_03It's the surrounding landscape there, correct. Okay.
SPEAKER_02I you know, everyone kind of if they're sneaking up to maybe Stokes A or something, at least that's the way they go. You passed the property.
SPEAKER_03You're going by most likely some county property for sure.
SPEAKER_02Okay, I didn't realize how how far back that went. Um with the um uh just circling back to the department.
SPEAKER_03So do you have say a staff of say 50 people or what would you guess to be the number uh if so aside from uh some of those uh staffing models I just mentioned, we do augment, especially during our busier seasons with part-time seasonal staff. So at our height, say if we're fully staffed in the middle of July, we we could be close to 40 to 50 people. Um then in the slower months in the winter, it it comes down a little bit as we lose some of those seasonal spots.
SPEAKER_02And um, do you currently have any openings in the parks uh department?
SPEAKER_03Uh we do have a few seasonal spots open, I believe, both uh under Jess and Lisa for their respective program areas. So I believe that's up on the website now. If I'm not sure what I think.
SPEAKER_02So what I what I'll uh say at this time, you know, once again, if you are considering an opportunity to work at the county and you you have a passion for parks and recreation, um, and uh please go to the website burkspa.gov, click on career opportunities, uh, and and look for any postings in the parks department uh and join uh Dan and his team. Um and uh that would be a great place to to go if if uh you're interested in that. And I'm sure you know you're always interested in getting good team members on board. So uh good luck with that.
SPEAKER_03Yeah, thank you.
SPEAKER_02So um or now why don't we talk a little bit about um so we kind of have a little bit of an overview of the department, the size of the department, and of course, um you know we you were starting to talk about the nine uh different kind of parks within the park. So why don't we circle back, you can touch, you know, continue on that a little bit just to identify them, and then um we'll talk a little bit with uh Jess and uh Lisa about what they do as well.
SPEAKER_03Yeah. Um so I mentioned the the Topehawkin Creek, um, and really that's centered around our Union Canal Trail. So um that runs through several of our parks. Um it's a well-known recreational trail, of course, here in Berks County, right along Topehawken Creek, and really follows the old tow path of the Union Canal, so historic canal in the late 18 uh 1800s that ran.
SPEAKER_02When you say tow path, do you mean that that's where they would pull the the uh horses or donkeys or whatever they used to pull the boat along the canal?
SPEAKER_03Correct, yeah. So with a canal of that period, generally it was mules actually that would do the pulling. Um so they would move the boats um usually three, four miles per hour would be max speed, but uh most of our present-day Union Canal Trail is on or located where uh that original towpath was.
SPEAKER_02Gotcha.
SPEAKER_03Um and so as you you branch out from there, um we'll start with the lower parks um in that area. Uh and so we're gonna start at the the top where the head of the trail, as I like to think about it, uh where the Topehaken actually meets the Schuylkill River. Um we have Stonecliffe Recreation. Uh that's our first or oldest park, so again, right around 1968, that was established today, has a nice pavilion. Um we're in the process of uh uh rehabilitating our skate park there, so hopefully that'll be coming back online for folks. Um we have a playground, basketball courts, volleyball courts, so um just a nice, nice space. Um, if you go farther down the trail, or upstream I should say, at this point, uh you will hit uh the Burke's leisure area. And I'll let Lisa talk a little bit about this site, which is where her office is based.
SPEAKER_01Sure, yeah. So there's uh this is a major hub for both recreation and the ranger department as well. Uh both my office and the ranger department uh were sort of headquartered out of this space here, so fairly busy with activity. So this was the former Schuler home, beautiful stone building, sits along the Tulpahkin Creek, has a nice pavilion as well. Um we do have some pickleball courts, court one and it also accesses the uh Union Canal Trail there by going across the Tulpahawkin on this wonderful old iron bridge. Um so it's a lovely spot. It's one of our reservation areas, so you can actually reserve the pavilion there. Oh, okay. Uh the pickleball court is first come, first serve. Gets a fair amount of use where it has gotten out about that pickleball court for sure. Um, so it does get a fair amount of use. It's a wonderful picnic spot. Um just a really lovely place along the Tulpahawken Creek where a lot of people will go to fish, picnic, all kinds of things.
SPEAKER_02Oh, very nice, very nice. It's kind of a tranquil area, I guess, right?
SPEAKER_01Yeah, yeah. It's uh what I would consider uh one of the quieter parks to access, um, whereas our Grings Mill Park and our Red Ridge Recreation Area gets fairly busy in the summertime in the warm summer months. Um Burke's leisure tends to be a little on the quieter side, which we happen to appreciate, but definitely has a lot of the same amenities as the other parks that are.
SPEAKER_02Sure. Good, thank you. What uh what else which what's next?
SPEAKER_03So if we keep uh moving along the trail here, you would encounter Greens Mill, which is generally uh I would say our our best known or most recognizable park within the park system. Um it's our headquarters for the administrative staff of the department as well as the maintenance hub. So uh our maintenance will work out of there with the the Greens Mill itself. So the photograph here is showing you the old Greens Mill from the early 1800s and the farmhouse that now serves as our uh office space. Um for anybody that's been to Holiday Lights, this is the location for that. So again, folks usually make that connection too.
SPEAKER_02That's good, and that's uh that's been a nice, nice addition, right? I mean, the the lights there seem to really attract people, and I I think it seems to be a strong presence every year. So that's a good sign. People enjoy it, I believe.
SPEAKER_03Yeah, it's it's um by far our our most visited program, um, probably one of the the longest running now at almost 40 years. Wow. Just a shy under that. So um definitely a uh enjoyable event we like putting on for the public.
SPEAKER_01Sure.
SPEAKER_03Uh jumping up the trail will hit Red Bridge Recreation Area that Lisa already mentioned. Um it's named because of the Wurtz's Red Covered Bridge that is nearby. So this is one of five still standing covered bridges here in the county. Um this dates back to about 1867. Now it's been restored a few times in its life, but uh again, one of the more iconic uh pieces there. And if you would park at Red Bridge Recreation Area, walk across the bridge, you will reach the Heritage Center. And I'll let Jess share uh some information about that site.
SPEAKER_00Yeah, so the Berks County Heritage Center is really the only park that sits on the opposite bank of the Tolpahakan Creek, and it serves as our historic park. So most of the things there are either museums you can visit or interact with some local history uh in one way or another. Um the two museums that we do have on site we have the Gruber Wagon Works, which is a uh 19th uh or I should say 20th and uh 20th century uh wagon factory uh that was moved to the site uh just prior to the construction of Blue Marsh Lake. Um it was reassembled there. Everything inside is original, including the tools and the machines, and it's a building that you can really sit and enjoy some kind of strange history that otherwise wouldn't be available to interact with or tour. We also have the Charles Howard Heaster Canal Museum, uh, and that is a little bit more of a uh tour on your own museum. Uh we have staff up there when the Heritage Center is open during our normal operating hours. Um, and they're there to answer questions. But otherwise, uh you can make your way around the canal museum and learn a little bit about the two canals that pass through Berks County, which were the Union Canal, which of course is right behind the Heritage Center, uh, as well as a school navigation system, which uh ran into the city of Reading and then continued onto the city of Philadelphia, um and was used just the same to move move uh cargo, coal, different things like that to uh grow Pennsylvania's uh uh industry. Uh and the one thing that most people probably know about us is when you do park in the main lot at the Berks County Heritage Center, is we do have the uh newly painted uh distal think statue, uh, which looks probably the brightest it has in a little bit. Um, so it's kind of our welcome symbol. And you're no you'll know you're at the heritage center when you see this statue for sure.
SPEAKER_02Well, I can tell you that my wife took advantage with the kids when they were much younger going to the heritage center and loved going there. And and I'm sure you still have programs that are geared towards the kids there. Oh, yeah. And uh I I just know that uh it was just a place they loved to go. So that's great to hear that was uh m many years ago. But uh it's it is definitely a uh beautiful spot in the county, and of course, all along the Topahak, and it's beautiful back there. Um and it is uh great if you know about it, and if you don't, hopefully after today's program, some more people will learn about it, you know, and see uh if they want to go and explore that. Um Dan, continuing on uh with uh other parks.
SPEAKER_03Yeah, sure. Um so uh leaving the Topehawk and Creek area, uh one of our uh also historic locations is the Allegheny Aqueduct in um Bidler House Park. Um this is uh outside of Birdsboro, is probably the best way to describe it. Features an 18th century structure that was restored. The Bidler family real briefly operated a saw and grist mill, uh, and then we have another canal connection. The aqueduct was part of the School navigation system. So today that survives as a historic um, it's on the uh register of historic places, I should say, so um that's part of that uh location. We do some programming programming there. Um it's not one of our most heavily used or operated sites, but um certainly a great resource for us. Um and I mentioned Antietam Lake Park already as well. Um this is one of or is the newest park within the system. Uh the county acquired some parcels beginning in the uh 2010s and a little bit before, so there's been some gradual development. But um, of course, Antietam Lake is there, lots of trails to uh recreate on, lots of historic structures dotted throughout that landscape. Um the Bingham and Nature Center has been restored, and that serves as a uh uh home base for us of sorts in that spot. Uh we do run some nature and environmental programs out of there too.
SPEAKER_02Just curiously, is was it Hunt Huntzinger's Grove? Is that still part of the park system?
SPEAKER_03That was that left the park system uh maybe about I want to say early 2000s at this point. So that's now operated by a long swamp township. Okay, so that's the same. So we transferred over correct.
SPEAKER_02Yeah, it was kind of um pretty far out.
SPEAKER_03I don't know if in the overall grand scheme of things and if if maybe that was some of the challenge that yeah, certainly if you think about maintaining even the you know the parks that we went through, um thinking about the mowing and moving equipment, and you know, we have some different facilities with different resources, but yeah, certainly that that plays into it.
SPEAKER_02I would imagine. Yeah. Um any any plans for uh adding any additional um properties to the I mean and I I would assume you're always open to the idea, depending if it fits, right?
SPEAKER_03Uh potentially. I don't have I can't speak to anything uh in the works. Some of those discussions uh usually start a little bit higher than us at times. But uh yeah, but I wouldn't I wouldn't be surprised, but nothing as far as I know at this time. Okay.
SPEAKER_02Yeah. All right, good. Um do you have um uh any upcoming projects? Now we touched a little bit on on 250, that's this year, and and of course next year is the 275 for the county. Um and you just kind of touched on some of the programming uh that you guys have in the works. Is there anything else that that you want to highlight at this point uh happening this year or even next year? Um with the barks.
SPEAKER_03Yeah, I'll I'll actually turn it over to Jess and Lisa to talk a little bit about some of our uh upcoming programs here in the spring and summer and uh maybe some of the concepts we've talked about for the 275th.
SPEAKER_01Sure. Jess, do you want to start since I think some of yours come up a little sooner than mine?
SPEAKER_00Yeah, of course. Um so I'll just say for the both of us, um, on April 11th, we do have a volunteer uh open house. So we're always looking for volunteers at the parks department because a lot of things we couldn't do without volunteers. I mean, we have a great staff and a pretty sizable one when we're fully staffed, but we do get bogged down by a lot of different responsibilities. Um, volunteers, on my part, they give tours, they help out with field trips, so they're a really critical part. Um so if you're interested in becoming a volunteer with the parks, we have a lot of different opportunities. So on April 11th, you can come to the Heritage Center uh and check us out at 10 o'clock, I believe it is, is when we're starting. I believe so, yeah. Yeah. Uh and then uh a little or uh later in April on the 18th, uh we have History Day slash our opening day. Uh so History Day is a concept brought on by the Berks Heritage Council. Uh, and they're going to have about 20 or so different historic uh organizations on site with tables and information. So if you're interested in learning more about uh local history and the people who make it happen, uh come on and check it out. And we're also going to be opening our day. We're a seasonal operation at the Heritage Center just because the Wagon Works is not heated. Uh, it can get pretty chilly and pretty toasty in there at the uh right times of the year. Um so it's gonna be our opening day, and that's gonna be the first day you can come down and have a tour of the wagon works. The next up.
SPEAKER_01Yeah. So uh the weekend after that, it seems to be Heritage Center on Repeat early on here. I promise we do have programs in all of our parks. Um the following weekend on April 25th, we have our Healthy Kids Day event. That is a free family event that we are encouraging anybody and everybody to come out to. Um, we partner with the Reading Burks uh YMCA and host this huge event with a lot of different vendors, a lot of different organizations that come out and just promote healthy living for healthy kids and healthy adults as well. Um we're actually doing a chicken dinner fundraiser that benefits both the Parks Department and the YMCA. So if that's something you're interested in, you can come out, enjoy the free event, and walk away with dinner that evening, too. So it's a win-win. Um there's all sorts of, like I said, free, wonderful things to do when you come out and visit with all of these different vendors. Um, there is also a color run that you can sign up for through the Y on their website, and so just a good, fun, free, wonderful day. Um, that runs 11 to 2 on April 25th. After that, we have we have tons of events and more than than I could possibly ever share. Um, some of the larger events and going into Americana Fest, the 250th event that we have coming up in June, on June 20th at the Heritage Center, um as Dan alluded to a little bit earlier. That's also another day that's jam-packed with activities and events. The first portion of the day sort of um starts out as a lot of family free, again, family activities for all ages, and you don't have to have a family, you don't have to have kids. Anybody can come out and have a great time. Um that all have to do with you know the 250th in our area. Um different vendors and people that represent that. We have a wet plate photographer, we have some reenactors, all of these different things that you can come out and participate in that then transitions over into a concert uh showcasing Americana music.
SPEAKER_02And so super.
SPEAKER_01I was gonna say that is a free concert. Uh Dave Klein is MCing that event for us. He has a jam session, so if you're so inclined, you can bring your own instruments out, join in on a jam session to begin with, and then it goes into uh three different acts uh for a concert that lead from about five o'clock until 8:30 in the evening. We have food trucks on site, lots to eat, all those sorts of things. So that's a huge day.
SPEAKER_02That is really exciting, and of course, I believe that you would say that the the website and your social media will, you know, for folks can can go to those two places to really get the fine details on both of those or any events happening. Yes. Uh it's really hard to believe we're out of time again. Uh it's it's always goes so quick, but boy, you guys really shared a lot of great information uh regarding our parks, and so I want to thank Lisa and Jess and Dan uh very much for uh spending some time with uh myself and the viewers. And uh at this time I just would like to say, please, if the get out and enjoy our parks uh system. It's a beautiful system within the county. Um and just kind of finishing up in closing, uh the controller would like to also talk about unclaimed checks, uh you can please uh visit the website uh burkspa.gov, hit up the controller's office, and you'll see uh uncashed checks. If by chance we have any checks that uh that belong to you, we're trying to reunite that with you. So these are checks that maybe you served on jury duty or something, and you just never got around to cashing that check. We're really would love you to cash that check and and it would help us not only to get reunite you with your money, but also help to clean up our books a bit. So once again, uh your host, Joe Ruttero for County Connections, and I look forward to seeing you next time.