Rooms at Presque Isle’s community center now bear the names of two former recreation officials in honor of their years of public and youth service.
The center’s senior room and teen room are now named for longtime recreation director Keith Hayward and administrative assistant Dodie Beals, respectively.
The move further expands the legacy of the former Presque Isle Rec Center, a beloved but aged fixture that was torn down in 2017. When the new Sargent Family Community Center opened in 2016, the gym was named for William Haskell, the city’s first recreation director, who served from 1946 to 1981.
Hayward served in the position from 1981 to 2003. Beals spent 35 years assisting with the center’s operations.
“I’m excited to say that the senior room is now going to be called the Hayward Room [and] the teen room is now going to be called the Beals Room,” Presque Isle City Councilor Mike Chasse said during the council’s May 6 meeting. “The intent of that is we want both those rooms to be open and accessible to everyone. We want kids and adults and seniors to mix.”
Chasse thanked both for what they brought to the community, saying they “made people better men and women” and made Presque Isle a better place.
Hayward was fair, but firm when he needed to be.
“When you showed up on the baseball field, everyone stood a little taller, and I think that is something that we’ve missed somewhat today,” Willette said. “People knew what was expected, and through that you created something great.”
Hayward and Beals and their family members attended the meeting and received recognition from the council and Recreation and Parks Advisory Board Chair Kevin Sipe.
Beals provided a “welcoming home base” for everyone at the center, he said.
“Mrs. Beals was never one to shy away from challenge. Whether it was a quick game of pig or a round of ping-pong, she proved time and again that she was the rec center champion,” Sipe said.
Plaques bearing Beals’ and Hayward’s names and inscriptions will hang in their rooms at the community center.
