Alton Selectboard cancels annual road race citing lack of staff, budget

ALTON — The Alton Parks and Recreation Department is shorthanded, and on Tuesday night, the selectboard voted to cancel the annual 5K road race scheduled for the Saturday ending the town's Old Home Week.

Kenneth Roberts, the chair of the town’s parks and recreation commission, addressed the selectboard during public comment. He said the issue with the road race is the parks & rec department recently lost an assistant who was slated to be in charge of the craft fair during Old Home Week.

Roberts said the craft fair needs a full-time dedicated person, and the road race is “enormous.”

“There are an enormous amount of volunteers to help with that, but it is a very overwhelming thing,” Roberts said. “For one person to try doing them both, it really can’t happen. You’re asking volunteers who probably didn’t know everything there is about it, and unfortunately, we just don’t have time to put that whole thing together.”

The race was supposed to take place on Aug. 8, starting and ending in the parking lot adjacent to the Alton Bay Bandstand at 58 Mount Major Hwy.

Roberts said he has spoken to the parks & rec director, and one person cannot do both events. There are safety issues that have also been going for years now, he said, which include the “driving public” when the road race is going on. He pointed to the dangers, noting just that day there was a fatal accident on Route 11.

“People are getting very impatient because we block the roads, and that is the middle of summer for us,” Roberts said. “It is wall-to-wall carpeting down in the bay. And finally, it’s the budget. I just talked to the new chief and mentioned it to him, and it’s $2,000 in overtime, plus.”

Roberts said they don’t have the volunteers they used to, and maintenance department workers aren’t going to be able to help. He said Parks & Rec Director Kellie Troendle has asked for the race to be canceled, and he agreed this was for the best. He asked the selectboard to support that decision.

Selectboard member Richard Shea voiced his concerns about the 5K race, and thought Roberts' recommendation should be followed.

“It would appear, based on what we’ve heard here, that we simply don’t have the necessary staff to pull this off safely or successfully, despite everybody’s best efforts,” Shea said. “I don’t see as we have any alternative but to go ahead with a cancellation, and express our disappointment and appreciation for all those who put effort into the effort, and hope that next year we will be fully staffed and can return to what has been a very successful undertaking in the past.”

Chair Paul LaRochelle agreed, saying staffing is a problem right now. Selectboard member Andrew Morse added this will be a problem the town will be tackling for years to come.

“We’re going to just have to roll with it,” Morse said.

LaRochelle said the event should be canceled until further notice, and made the motion to cancel, due to staffing issues, and funding for the event. The motion to cancel the race passed with a 4-0 vote.