Park district hosting community center classes over Zoom

With Covid restrictions on gathering sending local groups online to meet, the Point Roberts Park and Recreation District is offering a virtual community center through Zoom.

The district has acquired two Zoom licenses, said commissioner Holly Robinson. “One we can share with the community like we would the rooms at the community center,” she said, which is already being used by several local groups including the hospital district, the historical society and the chamber of commerce.

The other license, Robinson said, was for use by the parks district as it continues to expand recreational programming that is Covid-friendly.

“I really think we should be doing more in terms of programming,” said Robinson, who has revitalized the district’s kayak program and started a pickle ball program. “We have a responsibility to promote recreational activities and it doesn’t have to all be sports. I want us to host general interest programming too.”

Following an early foray into online offerings with a well-attended creativity workshop, Robinson said the district was offering a series of online workshops in January and early February on home repair and maintenance, taught by local builder Matt Olmedo. Topics have included insulation, water damage and home electrification. One more workshop on windows is scheduled for February 17. Over a dozen participants attended each of the workshops. Interested participants can sign up for the February 17 workshop by emailing rec.prpr@gmail.com.

“We’re working on firming up two other proposals [for future workshops],” Robinson said, and hoping more community members will come forward to share their areas of expertise through the parks district. “We are trying to get people interested in creating their own program,” she said. “Really just finding people who have a topic they want to talk about for an hour.”

She is also working with another retired attorney to use the parks district Zoom account to offer a monthly legal information session.

At their January 11 meeting, parks commissioners discussed setting guidelines for using the district’s public-use Zoom license, and how to make sure groups who would be able to use it to know it’s available. “I know there’s a need for it for public events,” said district board chair Bennett Blaustein, but it wasn’t intended to be used for family reunions and private parties. “As long as it’s open to the public we can provide this service.”

Blaustein said they would be developing guidelines on use and working on getting the word out about “this new technology that’s available and how to make a
request.”

This story was updated on January 29 to correct the date of the last virtual creativity workshop, which will be on February 17, not February 2.