Winthrop Parks Walkabout - May 8th 5:30pm - 7 pm

The Town of Winthrop welcomes the public to join in an upcoming Winthrop Parks and Recreation Public Workshop on Tuesday, May 8 from 5:30 -7:00pm. This will be a walking tour, presentation, and discussion starting at the Winthrop Town Trailhead/Ice Rink. From the rink, we will walk through town and end at the Winthrop Ball Field.

In this workshop, the public will have the opportunity to learn about Winthrop’s Parks and Recreation Plan and provide feedback on current projects. Town Planner, Rocklynn Culp will share the findings of the recent Town of Winthrop Recreation Survey and give an overview of current town recreational projects including: the Susie Stephens Trail and a town RiverWalk. Winthrop Ice and Sports Rink representatives will talk about refrigeration efforts at the Ice Rink. Community representatives will speak about enhancements to the Winthrop Ball Field and the bicycle pump track to be built behind the baseball field.

The walking workshop begins at 5:30pm at the Town Trailhead. From the Town Trailhead/Ice Rink the group will leave on the walking tour, stopping along the way at each location to discuss these exciting recreational opportunities for the Town of Winthrop. The public is invited. Light refreshments will be served.

Town of Winthrop is updating park plan

The Town of Winthrop is engaging in a whirlwind update of our Parks and Recreation Plan to maintain our eligibility to apply for grants through the Washington Recreation Conservation Office (RCO). In an effort to gauge public sentiment on our local parks and recreation scene, we’re asking folks to give us feedback. We’ve put together a brief and easy survey, available at https://www.surveymonkey.com/s/winthropparks. If you are a utility customer with the Town, you can also look for a survey in your mailbox. We hope you’ll take a few minutes to give us your input.

In addition to the park survey, the Winthrop Planning Commission will hold a Public Workshop with a focus on parks and recreation. The workshop will be held on Tuesday, January 24th, 6 PM at the Hen House of the Winthrop Barn. We will again be looking to get the community’s pulse on a variety of potential projects, to see where we can best spend our energy in coming years.

As always, your input helps us do a better job of setting priorities and planning for the future of our community. Please take the time to let us know what is important to you!

Attend The Workshop: Tuesday, January 24th, 6 PM at the Hen House of the Winthrop Barn

Winthrop Ice Rink Parking

The Winthrop Ice Rink and its programs have been a great success for the Town of Winthrop. With that success, however, has come the challenge of managing the impacts on neighboring properties and their owners. Parking and traffic considerations have been the biggest headaches. This winter, the Town added 10 mph speed limit signs to the access road to the rink that for the most part are being respected and that is greatly appreciated for everyone’s safety. We also added no parking signs along the entry road and along the northeastern (towards the river) edge of the lot to preserve the access to the maintenance road to the rink and more importantly to preserve access for the guests of the Methow River Cabins neighboring the rink. Unfortunately, these no parking areas are not always being respected and rink users have been blocking access to the cabins and even using the cabin property to park or drop-off skaters. These actions are unacceptable to the Town and are unfair to our neighbors at the Methow River Cabins.

The lower lot at the ice rink is designed to accommodate approximately 15 to 20 cars (including the 2 disabled parking stalls). If you arrive at the rink and the lower lot is already full, you must park in the upper lot which can be accessed off of White Avenue (Twin Lakes Rd.) just past the entrance for Winthrop Physical Therapy and Fitness. A lighted stairway leads from the upper lot directly to the ice rink.

Please help us continue to build on the success of the ice rink and be good neighbors to the adjacent properties and their owners.

Winthrop Ice Rink wins award

On June 19, 2008, the Town of Winthrop was honored with a Municipal Excellence Award from the Association of Washington Cities (AWC) at their Annual Conference in Yakima.

The Town of Winthrop won the Small City Successes category for the Winthrop Town Trailhead and Ice Rink. The Winthrop Town Trailhead and Ice Rink represents the culmination of years of effort by the town and two nonprofit groups, Winthrop Ice and Sports Rink Association and Methow Valley Sports Trail Association (MVSTA) to create a vibrant recreational hub in the heart of our community.

Planning for the project drew a great deal of public attention and input. Winthrop’s new 3.8 acre trailhead and ice rink now stands as the cornerstone in realizing a handful of long held community visions. Over the winter, hundreds of people, old and young alike, enjoyed skating on the new facility and warming their toes in the new building; while other folks used the new trailhead as a departure point to guide along the MVSTA ski trails.

Out of 62 entries, Winthrop’s entry was one of eight projects selected to receive an Excellence Award at AWC’s 75th Annual Conference. Entries are judged by subject category and each category has one winner. The awards are judged by individuals outside of AWC, who are selected for their knowledge of and enthusiasm for local government.

The Municipal Excellence Awards are presented to cities that have demonstrated outstanding achievements in promoting community excellence. The competition recognizes a community’s achievement and encourages other cities to develop similar programs. The hard work and dedication proven in each of the projects makes a community stronger especially when the focus is on improving tomorrow.

The Town of Winthrop wishes to thank all of the community members who volunteered and supported this project. This award is because of all of you and your unselfish hard work.