NCAARD welcomes new program director

   As of November 2011, the New Concord Area Arts and Recreation District (NCAARD) gained a new program director, Judy Beetem.

   Beetem recalled the first time she noticed the organization.

   "My family and I moved here in 2007 and it was already well underway then," said Beetem.  "We saw the brochure in the grocery store and it was one of the first things we saw when we moved in."

   Beetem also said that her children started participating in the programs, like the summer writing camp and the science activities.  However, she noted that her real lead into NCAARD was a book club.

   "[Bea] Gosnell [who headed the book club at the time] is currently on sabbatical, but I asked her if she needed help," said Beetem. "I was leading [both] book clubs in Mrs. Gosnell's absence and was pleased to learn that the director's position was available."

   In her position as program director, Beetem is in charge of planning events and coordinating times for the events.

   "I also come up with new ideas for events and help implement the ideas of others," said Beetem.

   NCAARD offers a variety of such events for New Concord community members.  Some popular ones include Let's Pick It Up New Concord in April, a Dog Hike in March at the New Concord Reservoir, and a wide array of after-school activities for middle schoolers (from Art Projects to Wii), sports, and dance classes.

   While some of the activities are geared toward the children, Beetem clarified that there are also many adult events, such as the 23+ Volleyball and the new classes at the Evergreen Village common room, which include card making and papercrafts, to name a few.

   "Some of the instructors are paid, but a lot of them are volunteers," said Beetem.  "We rely a lot on volunteer help."

   She noted that Muskingum University has a good rapport with NCAARD and that if student groups want to volunteer to help with programs, they can ask her or Janet Heeter-Bass in Student Life.  She also added that if students are interested in a possible internship with the organization, they should discuss it with their adviser.

   In order to participate in an NCAARD event, such as the upcoming snowman contest, one should simply go to the NCAARD website (www.ncaard.org) to fill out the waiver form, which should be done about a week in advance. The site also contains information about upcoming events.

  Additionally, there is now a Facebook group for the organization, listed under the full name.

   "We've gotten so much support from the community; we're so grateful for that,"  said Beetem.  "It's a great job and a great community."