Residents invited to attend recreation plan workshops MIDDLETOWN - Residents are encouraged to voice their opinions about the township's parks, recreational facilities and programs at two public workshops to be held this May. "These workshops are integral to the successful development of the Parks, Recreation and Open Space Master Plan," Middletown Parks, Recreation and Cultural Affairs Director Gregg Silva said in a press release. "We hope many residents will come out to share their thoughts about our existing facilities and programs and what they'd like to see in the future." Master plan workshops will be held on May 1 at the Croydon Hall Senior Center, 900 Leonardville Road, and May 3 at the Middletown Arts Center, 36 Church St. Both workshops begin at 7 p.m. The decision to develop a comprehensive Parks, Recreation and Open Space Master Plan is contributed to several factors that have emerged in recent years including extensive growth in the use of parks and recreation facilities by various youth and adult leagues, casual recreation users, the demand for new recreational opportunities such as lacrosse and the acquisition of additional parcels for open space or recreational use. The Township Committee awarded a contract to Brandsetter Carroll Inc., of Kentucky, in February to develop the master plan. The plan, which is in the early stages of development, will examine existing uses of all recreational venues, existing programs and available space to help determine how to best meet the recreation needs of Middletown families now and in the future. The document is expected to be completed by December. The township's Parks, Recreation and Cultural Affairs Department currently provides more than 50 parks, four indoor recreational facilities, two municipal beaches and an aquatic facility. A combination of 51 baseball, soccer and football fields and 50 Board of Education baseball and soccer fields are currently utilized by some 4,200 youth players on 330 individual teams divided among five organizations and numerous male and female softball and baseball leagues, co-ed softball leagues and individual teams sponsored by private groups. Collectively, they play more than 4,000 games and hold hundreds of practices every year. Call the Department of Parks, Recreation and Cultural Affairs at (732) 615-2260 for more information.