LAST PAGE: Mike Muscolino, 75

Director of Newark community center to retire after 45 years providing community activities

By John Addyman

Q. How did you become the director of the Alex Eligh Community Center?

A. I was vice principal at Wayne Central middle school when the community center director job came open. I was on the board of directors. After driving home at Christmas time in 1979, I said to my wife, ‘I want to make a career change.’ We talked it out, and I approached Lenny Colavito, the board president and asked him, ‘What do you think about me applying for the directorship?’ He said, ‘Done!’ That was at his kitchen table. I’ve never looked back.

Q. How would you describe your job?

A. I am the organizer and networker for recreational activities in our community. Youth baseball, basketball, swimming and softball, along with many adult activities. I grew up at the rec center with Alex Eligh as the head. He was my mentor. Early on as director I resolved myself to getting involved in other community activities — Rotary, Chamber of Commerce, Elks Club, American Legion — to get out there and see how our community thrives, to see how the community center could network and coordinate with them. That’s been a big plus — being involved in different organizations. The average person in Newark knows about the community center. We are really lucky to have the village leadership be a big part of our program.

Q. You attended many village board of trustees meetings. Your answers to their questions demonstrated omniscience of the issues. How?

A. A little luck. Many times those questions had come to me before the meeting. It wasn’t the first time around dealing with what they were asking about. I knew about complaints through phone calls, people stopping me on the street or in the store, or today, from Facebook. I prided myself about knowing what’s going on in our community and how it could affect us at the recreational level.

Q. The favorite programs you’ve hosted?

A. The most smiling faces I see, twice a year, are at the Christmas and Halloween parties. I can’t believe how many people we had here last Halloween. You hope you see the same type of smile when a kid gets done playing his youth basketball season, that his experience was as positive as the Halloween party or sitting on Santa’s lap. Another positive is that these parties are family affairs — kids come with their parents.

Q. Truths?

A. As a coach and as a recreation director, I taught that your whole world revolves around respect. Respect for people, respect for other people’s thoughts. You may not agree with everybody in your lifetime, but you can arrive at consensus. To hate someone is not good. Get out there and be the best person you can be. Good things will happen. I told our kids, ‘You’ve got to work hard.” I’m big on — when we have our staff of kids in the summertime — teaching them that they have to be on time for work. Come 15 minutes early, put your phones away and get started for work. Everything I tried to do with kids was to prepare them for life. I tried to be part of that teaching process.   

Q. What’s next?

A. I don’t have a plan. I’m not a big traveler. I’ll still be involved with the chamber and Rotary and American Legion and from there, gear down a little bit. All my friends are retired. I’ll spend some time with them in the coffee shop, although I’ll miss sitting and talking at a Newark diner’s counter where you could intermingle with people who have a different bent on things. You always want to hear what’s on people’s minds. It’s been a good experience. I can’t say there’s been a day when I haven’t enjoyed the drive to work. I’ve worked with good boards of directors, good mayors, good boards of trustees. It’s been a good ride.