Johnson City reopening: The Three Community Centers, rec. return of athletics | WJHL

JOHNSON CITY, Tennessee (WJHL) On Monday, the city of Johnson City took another step back to normalcy, resuming public use of nearly all of its facilities.

This week, popular community centers like Memorial Park, Carver Recreation and Langston Center are reopening in the next phase of Johnson City’s plan to reopen.

All of this comes with some big changes like limited programming, reduced capacity and mandatory pre-registration for activities.

This is a welcome change as the doors of community centers that were closed due to the pandemic may finally reopen.

“Lots of smiles! And thank you, ”said Deb Fogle, Senior Director of Services for the Memorial Park Community Center.

For Memorial Park, that day has been a long time coming.

“We have been waiting for the reopening for a year and a month. So we’re really excited, our people are really excited, ”Fogle said.

Entry to the three Johnson City community centers will be limited. Registration for all activities is mandatory, as is COVID screening, temperature control, mask and hand sanitizer at the entrance.

“We have time to clean in between, so we do a lot of disinfection between people, but we want to accommodate as much as possible,” Fogle said.

Social distancing is also highlighted at Memorial Park Community Center, which limits its workout rooms, gyms, fitness classes, and swimming pools to a maximum of 10 people at a time, to a maximum of 90 minutes. Programs for all centers are also still limited at this time.

“They are just happy to walk through the doors and be able to be active again,” Fogle said.

It’s a similar setup to the Carver Park Recreational Center, its biggest schedule of activities to pick up on Monday is the after-school program.

Additionally, this week marks the return of recreational sports to Johnson City parks.

“Obviously with COVID it’s a whole new world. We are asking for social distancing and the wearing of your mask inside the facilities, ”said Joe Ebarb, head of parks and recreational sports.

For the first time since the start of the pandemic, all sports programs for children and adults are operational and they are already seeing a large number register.

“We can make it work. They wasted a year being able to do things that we have always taken for granted, whether it be softball, football, whatever. We really want to involve all the kids who want to participate this year, ”said Ebarb.

Other sporting changes include the marking of bleachers for social distancing. At present, they do not limit the number of players who can play a sport.

One thing that will remain closed for now is the Johnson City Public Library. It will reopen on Monday, April 19, with limited capacity and a mask requirement. The library says it will continue curbside pickup. Toys, games and rest areas will remain closed.

Another thing the community can expect, summer camps will be held this summer in Johnson City. Registration for these will begin next Monday, April 19, online.