Town defends use of Geisler fund for playground

Town Board members are defending use of funds from the Shane Geisler Fund for new playground equipment at Mount Marion Park.

The comments were made during a Town Board meeting Wednesday after a resident questioned why town funds couldn’t be used for new equipments.

“Why did that have to come out of a donation when parks and recreation has the money to repair the equipment?” resident Glen Jones said.

Supervisor Greg Helsmoortel said there have been priorities set for park maintenance, with funds often budgeted to repair vandalized equipment in other areas.

“The reason we’re doing Mount Marion Park is because we were able to get donated money from the Shane Geisler Fund.”

Geisler was a popular physical education teacher and coach who died in 2005 after going into cardiac arrest while participating in the 2-mile Shamrock Run in Kingston. A 1994 graduate of Saugerties High School who, as a star quarterback, led the football team to a 1993 Section 9 Class B championship, has been remembered by colleagues and former students for being supportive and influential as teacher, coach and friend.

Councilman Fred Costello said use of the funds for playground equipment is in keeping with the late gym teacher’s love for recreational activity for children.

“This is probably the most perfect memorial to his memory that you could have,” he said. “He was a tremendous athlete.”

A slide, swings, and improvements to the basketball court have been added to the park, which is along the Plattekill Creek. Geisler’s younger brother Gabe Geisler said the project was selected by a committee of friends who understand how important it is to provide recreational opportunities.

“Both of us played sports and that’s where we grew up playing,” he said.

“The park hasn’t be redone since I was a kid and so we figured it could us a facelift,” Geisler said. “We’d go down there and never see anybody down there. I was just down there last weekend and since they put new playground equipment in there was probably 12 kids playing on it.”