BY ADAM ATKINSON
North Country This Week

POTSDAM — The village’s recreation department is seeking summer employees and will plan its summer programming at Sandstoner Park at 43 Pine St. based on how many lifeguards and playground staff it is able to hire.

“We just released our job descriptions and applications yesterday, so the specific program will be determined by the response and staff that end up being available for our programming this summer,” said Trey Smutz, Potsdam village recreation director, last week.

The program has openings for a head lifeguard, lifeguard, lifeguard assistant/substitute lifeguard, learn-to-swim instructor, summer rec pre-school and playground supervisor, summer rec playground leader and summer rec assistant health director.

All of the positions are seasonal. Lifeguards could be required to work up to 40 hours per week from mid-June to the end of August. According to the job descriptions, up to 25-30 Hours per week would be available for playground leaders during the summer recreation program that usually operates 5-6 weeks starting in July.

Official job descriptions can be viewed on the village website at https://bit.ly/3N2Dtym . To download an application for employment with the summer recreation program visit https://bit.ly/3PjEHHI .

“The scope of our program will be influenced heavily on how many individuals are interested in being lifeguards or playground leaders, as direction of a ‘camp’ would require specific staff to camper ratios to adhere to Department of Health guidelines,” Smutz said.

The summer offerings from the village pre-pandemic have been known to draw as many as 300 children to participate during the six-week program, the director said.

Smutz said to cover that number of potential attendees, the village recreation program, if classified as a “camp” by the state, would be required to staff 15 playground leaders on site.

“Granted, we typically wouldn't expect all 300 children to show up on the same day as many either have other summer plans, vacation, or simply take a week off from rec, in situations like this, you have to anticipate that those numbers could actually be represented in an environment where people are finally trying to put COVID in their rear-view mirrors and have more activity-based opportunities and interactions with their peers and community members,” Smutz told North Country This Week.

The director said once the program has a better determination of how many lifeguards and recreation staff will be available to handle programming, the recreation department will be able to develop plans for swim lessons and playground activities.

More details about programs and summer rec activities will be available in coming weeks, Smutz said.

In the meantime, the village recreation department will be hosting a large pickle ball tournament at Sandstoner with a pro-clinic May 14 and 15.