Wood floor to be added to Arbutus Rec Center

After four years of raising funds and seeking the support of elected officials, Arbutus Recreation Council treasurer George Kendrick will finally see a new floor in the Arbutus Recreation Center.

The 92-year-old who serves as treasurer of the Arbutus Recreation Council, an outspoken advocate for his community for many years, organized an effort to replace the vinyl tile floor of the recreation facility with red maple wood.

The installation will begin this week and is expected to be complete in six weeks, said Baltimore County Executive Kevin Kamenetz, who was among the officials to announce the new flooring at a ceremony held last Saturday.

A check for $74,000 was presented to Kendrick by Kamenetz, who accepted the funds on behalf of the recreation council. The council raised the other $25,000 needed to complete the work.

"As soon as we heard the words George Kendrick we knew we had to get involved and make this happen," Kamenetz said before a group of about 20 people seated in the recreation facility.

Kendrick is known by residents as the "unofficial mayor" of Arbutus.

A $30,000 bond to fund the project was also secured by Dels. Steven DeBoy and James Malone, and state Senator Ed Kasemeyer in the spring legislative session.

"I'm so thrilled that we're getting a new floor here. I think I've worked tirelessly in the last four years to put a bug in everybody's ear," said Kendrick, known well by his neighbors for coaching the Arbutus Big Red amateur men's football team since 1946. "Because anybody who plays basketball or volleyball or any other sport playing on concrete is not conducive to good leg muscles."

Kendrick said the floor, which is concrete covered with polyvinyl tile, is too hard to comfortably play impact sports like basketball.

"You stand here for 10 minutes and it makes your leg muscles tight," Kendrick said standing in the center of the facility.

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Wood floor to be added to Arbutus Rec Center