We were born to move. To play. To develop. To reach further. To do more. To think differently and innovate the extraordinary. Create the unexpected. This is our passion and our mission. This is Play That Moves You.
By Todd Pernsteiner
By By By ByWinter 2023 Issue
Content/Ad Deadline: January 15, 2023 | Mails: February 2023
Spring 2023 Issue
Content/Ad Deadline: March 15, 2023 | Mails: April 2023
Summer 2023 Issue
Content/Ad Deadline: June 15, 2023 | Mails: August 2023
Fall 2023 Issue
Content/Ad Deadline: August 15, 2023 | Mails: November 2023
Learn more about advertising at www.bit.ly/CPRA2023.
COLORADO PARKS & RECREATION ASSOCIATION PO BOX 1037
Wheat Ridge, CO 80034 [P] 303-231-0943 [F] 303-237-9750 cpra@cpra-web.org www.cpra-web.org
Ashley Perillo Acting Executive Director ashleyp@cpra-web.org
Rachel Hungerbuhler Professional Development Program Coordinator rachelh@cpra-web.org
Jillian Strogis Membership & Communications Coordinator jillians@cpra-web.org
Colorado Byline is the official member magazine of CPRA, Colorado Parks & Recreation Association. CPRA is a dynamic, proactive organization that creates healthy residents and livable communities by promoting excellence in parks and recreation.
2022-23 CPRA
BOARD OF DIRECTORS
PRESIDENT Hillary Roemersberger Apex Park & Recreation District hillaryr@apexprd.org
PRESIDENT-ELECT Clay Shuck City and County of Broomfield cshuck@broomfield.org
SECRETARY/TREASURER Sean VonRoenn
ERBM Recreation and Park District seanv@ERBMrec.com
AT-LARGE Susan Anderson City of Wheat Ridge Parks and Recreation sanderson@ci.wheatridge.co.us
AT-LARGE Gina Barton Jefferson County Parks and Conservation gbarton@jeffco.us
AT-LARGE Megann Lohman City of Boulder Parks and Recreation Lohmanm@bouldercolorado.gov
AT-LARGE Kit Newland City of Lakewood kitnew@lakewood.org
2022-23 CPRA ADVISORY COUNCIL
AAPS Amy Hodge Eaton Parks & Recreation District amyhodge@eaprd.com
AQUATICS
Hillary Osmack City of Boulder Parks and Recreation osmackh@bouldercolorado.gov
CARA
Kyle Parker City of Greenwood Village kparker@greenwoodvillage.com
DIRECTORS
Dean Rummel
Carbon Valley Parks and Recreation District drummel@cvprd.com
FACILITY MANAGEMENT Dan Wahl Town of Castle Rock dwahl@crgov.com
FITNESS Michelle Stout Apex Parks & Recreation District michelles@apexprd.org
PARKS Ryan Jensen City and County of Broomfield rjensen@broomfield.org
PLAaY Katy French City of Brighton kfrench@brightonco.gov
THERAPEUTIC RECREATION (TR) Ashley Bordenet Town of Castle Rock abordenet@crgov.com
BYLINE, ONLINE & EMAIL
ADVERTISING: Todd Pernsteiner Pernsteiner Creative Group 952-841-1111 todd@pernsteiner.com www.pernsteiner.com
On the cover: ERBM Recreation & Park District’s inflatable start/finish line
Photo by: Donnee Theos
Issuu helps you engage with your community by converting your publications into digital flipbooks. Instantly transform static PDFs into dynamic digital experiences. Create additional assets from just one publication at the click of a button, then share with your audience.
You don’t have to be a computer programmer
use Issuu. The platform hosts a number of valuable, user-
help
Custom stories are more important than ever and can be a great way to get your content noticed. Repurpose publication content for all your social channels. Issuu’s visual story and article story features can help you increase engagement through visually appealing, motion-graphic stories for Facebook, Snapchat, and Instagram.
Embed brochures, branding and external websites (like your park and recreation home page) directly into your publication. It’s a useful way to cultivate a broader audience as well as generate interest in your department’s offerings.
Embedding YouTube and Vimeo videos directly into your flipbook is a great way to boost engagement and deliver a multimedia experience. Videos help readers interact with your content and propels them to learn more about programs.
Once you’ve launched and sharer your content, check out your dashboard for up-to-date information on impressions, reads, read-time, clicks and more. Unlike traditional printed publications, Issuu’s digital statistics feature allows you to track real-time data and properly evaluate the overall effectiveness of your marketing strategy. You’ll gain beneficial insight into your publication’s audience.
benefits for each level.
The City of Arvada, Apex Park and Recreation District and Jeffco Public Schools recently announced the selection of OLC as the architecture and interior design firm to lead the George J. Meyers Swimming Center (7900 Carr St.) reconstruction project. Meyers Pool is a unique 50-meter aquatics facility that hosts a wide variety of users from competitive swimming events to recreational lap swimmers and swim classes.
As the facility reaches the end of its lifespan, these partners have decided to replace the center with a new 50-meter natatorium. After years of planning, design and construction are ready to move forward. The design process is currently underway and incorporates a variety of previous feedback from pool
users about their needs and desires for the next iteration of Meyers Pool.
Construction is anticipated to begin in early 2023. During construction, the current pool will remain open. The new pool will be built in the existing parking lot. After the new pool is operational, the existing pool will be demolished and a new parking lot built on the site. The construction impacts and a parking plan
will be developed and shared with pool users and local residents to ease this disruption.
On October 11th, community members are invited to visit the current pool for the opportunity to meet the designers and learn more about the next iteration of Meyers Pool. Learn more at the City of Arvada’s web page The Future of Meyers Pool.
We had a blast with everyone who attended our first in-person Conference since 2019! Members attended in record numbers, embodying our theme of Getting the Band Back Together. Thank you to all who attended and volunteered to make this our largest, most successful Conference yet!
- Mollie Gunter, Town of Erie
- Heather Deal, City of Loveland
- Hillary Osmack, City of Boulder
- Doug
Altitude
• A to Z Recreation
• Adolfson & Peterson Construction
• All American Sports Material
• America Red Cross
• American Ramp Company
• Amilia
• Aquatic Resources
• Association of Aquatic Professionals
• BSN Sports
• Buckeye International
• CEM Sales & Service
• Churchich Recreation LLC
• Clear Comfort
• Colorado Hardscapes
• Counsilman-Hunsaker
• Daysmart Recreation
• Design Concepts
• EV Studio
• Ewing Irrigation & Landscape Supply
• Fry & Associates, Inc.
• Granite Seed & Erosion Control
• iZone Imaging
• Kimley-Horn
• Lincoln Pools
• Mid America Pool Renovation
• OLC
• Omega II Fence Systems
• PEC
• Pioneer
• Pioneer Athletics
• Products4Parks
• Push Pedal Pull
• Rain Bird Corporation
• Renner Sports Surfaces
• Rocky Mountain Recreation
• Rocky Mountain Turf Solutions
• Romtec, Inc.
• Sport & Fitness
• StarGuard ELITE
• Technogym
• Vermont Systems
• Vermont Systems
• University of Colorado DenverSchool of Public Affairs
• Water Technology, Inc.
In early August, U.S. Secretary of Transportation Pete Buttigieg announced that more than $2.2 billion in grants would be awarded through the Rebuilding American Infrastructure with Sustainability and Equity (RAISE) program to help urban and rural communities move forward on projects that modernize roads, bridges, transit, rail, ports, and intermodal transportation and make our transportation systems safer, more accessible, more affordable, and more sustainable. The City of Alamosa was one of the 166 U.S. cities receiving RAISE grant funding.
Alamosa’s nearly $4.8 million Rio Grande Intermodal Transportation grant will fund the construction of a new pedestrian bridge across the span of the Rio Grande River channel in the Adams State University neighborhood. The project includes acquisition of the rightof-way, design, permitting, engineering, and construction of a trailhead parking lot, ADA accessible ramp and surfacing of the approach to the bridge, and construction of the tied arch bridge (approximately 320 feet long and 14 feet wide) with steel reinforced abutments.
John Reesor, outdoor recreation supervisor and grants coordinator with Alamosa Parks and Recreation, told Alamosa News: “The first step in the process will be working with the U.S. DOT and engineers to come up with plans for the bridge and ensure that we have completed all of the necessary studies and permitting. This process will also include working diligently with
the Army Corps as the bridge interfaces with the levee system. Once the design, engineering, and permitting process is complete and once the DOT has given us the authorization to proceed, we will begin with construction activities.”
“The timeline is somewhat uncertain until we begin working with the DOT and engineers,” Reesor added “Our grant application timeline stated we would begin engineering and permitting this fall. With construction beginning late 2023 and going into early 2024.
“This announcement is like a lightning spark for the Alamosa community that has been decades in the making. This bridge will be a tremendous asset to our community that will connect neighborhoods and Adams State University to the Rio Grande, our trail system and other outdoor amenities that will enhance our quality of life, help us retain our workforce and help our city thrive into the future. I want to thank the Revitalize the Rio Committee, San Luis Valley Great Outdoor Coalition and our hard-working staff, especially John Reesor, for getting this project to this point,” said Alamosa Mayor Ty Coleman.
In the 1980-1990’s the current FEMAcertified levee system was constructed along the Rio Grande in Alamosa. The levee system, a crucial piece of infrastructure that protects the City from flooding during spring runoff, also serves as an intermodal transportation
corridor for Alamosa residents. Public access is open along much of the levee system allowing residents to move through Alamosa, north to south, along the arterial river.
One challenge with the current condition of the levee trail system is that public ROWs do not exist in certain key spots along the river which fragments travel for pedestrians and cyclists. The City owns maintenance easements on the entire levee system; however the City does not hold public access easements on the entirety of the levee system. The most densely populated neighborhoods in Alamosa are located around Adams State University’s campus. Currently this neighborhood of students, families and professionals has limited direct access to the levee trail system due to private properties without public ROWs (and landowners unwilling to sell/allow public access) and no infrastructure to cross the river.
A pedestrian bridge in the proposed location near Adams State University (ASU) will offer non-motorized transportation alternatives for the Alamosa community, improve intermodal travel safety, and promote active lifestyles. The bridge will open up access to the levee trail system currently blocked by private properties. The bridge will also open up the Adams State neighborhood to the 1,200+ acre City of Alamosa Open Space (the Alamosa City Ranch) across the river. The City Ranch contains a municipal golf course, 11.5 miles of trail, a trout fishing pond, dog
park, disc golf course, archery range, boat ramps and other outdoor recreation amenities all containing spectacular mountain views. These points of interest are currently only realistically accessed by motor vehicles for the majority of Alamosa. To see a visual representation of the current travel conditions and the proposed non-motorized routes through the construction of a pedestrian bridge.
The bridge will also provide a route to downtown Alamosa via non-motorized levee trail (electric assist e-bikes and electric wheel chairs are also permitted on the trail system). Alamosa’s downtown is a burgeoning business and cultural center currently going through a lane reduction diet and other pedestrian improvements. This project will lessen the community’s dependence on vehicular transportation and encourage modes of transportation that do not create significant carbon emissions.
A preliminary drawing of the project that was submitted with the grant application
A pedestrian bridge at ASU has been a long sought-after need of the Alamosa community. For decades, ASU and the City of Alamosa have pursued various sources of funding for this project. In the past five years, this project has again gained momentum. In 2017, the City of Alamosa Comprehensive Plan Update (The Comp Plan) highlighted the public desire for a project to expand the reach and connectivity of the arterial river trails. The Comp Plan states: “There is tremendous excitement and hope for embracing the Rio Grande River corridor as a central recreation asset for the City with complete trails on both sides, trailside amenities, river access points, boating/floating put-ins/takeouts, pedestrian bridges and river bank vegetation improvements. Wayfinding that directs visitors, students and unfamiliar residents to the river was also cited by many community members as a priority investment.”
On the heels of the Comp Plan update was the 2017 River Corridor Improvements Feasibility Study.
The study was funded in part by the Rio Grande Farm Park, the City of Alamosa, Alamosa County, Adams State University, and various other local partner agencies. The engineering study convened local stakeholders and private property owners to determine the feasibility of recreational, transportation, and environmental improvements along the river corridor that has been heavily altered by agriculture, the levee flood control system, and climate change. The location of the proposed pedestrian bridge in the RGITP project was first identified by Riverbend Engineering as an ideal location due to the bridge filling a pedestrian connection gap, the proximity to ASU and Alamosa’s population center, and the relative short span of the Rio Grande in that location. These first preliminary drawings are shown above. Newer maps have been created to identifying the viability of the bridge in the proposed location with considerations of river span, existing utilities, and private properties.
Understanding the need to carry forward the momentum of these previous studies and to move into an implementation phase, in 2018 the City of Alamosa partnered with San Luis Valley Great Outdoors (SLVGO) and a host of other government agencies, non-profit organizations, and private businesses to form the “Revitalize the Rio” (RtR) community action group. Leaders from the RtR group have been working on the public directive to “embrace the river corridor” in the years since, still meeting and working in 2022. RtR has helped
the City in the past 4 years add 8+ new trail miles along the river, acquire 203 acres of private property along the river for improved public access, added conservation easements on this public property, improved pedestrian wayfinding, and recently installing two non-motorized boat put-in/take-outs for the first time in the City. For these efforts in improving equitable access to outdoor recreation and a number of other quality of life factors, Alamosa County won the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation Culture of Health prize.
In 2020, again the City of Alamosa partnered with San Luis Valley Great Outdoors on a fundraising campaign called “Trails Connect” in an effort to bring in financial support for a pedestrian bridge near Adams State University. While the cost estimates stated in this fundraising campaign proved to be low, the campaign has been successful in yielding $100,000 of private donations for the RGITP.
Also in 2020, City of Alamosa leadership recognized that more work needed to be done to create a public vision for a connected arterial river corridor multiuse path. The City sought funding from Colorado Parks and Wildlife and was awarded a grant for the completion of a “Riparian Park to Refuge Trails Master Plan”. In 2021, Alamosa entered into a contract with THK Associates to perform the master planning process. The goal of this project is to create a document that will be the roadmap for future trail development and trail connections. The plan will assist the City of Alamosa in
determining priority property acquisitions, right of ways, and needed infrastructure pieces to connect four main open spaces: (1) The Alamosa Riparian Park; (2) The Alamosa City Ranch; (3) the Malm Trail Network; and (4) the Alamosa National Wildlife Refuge - hence the project name “Riparian Park to Refuge Trail Master Plan”. The end result of this project will be a final public document, which will include the following deliverables:
1. a master plan report that is informed by the Alamosa public and considers issues of health equity, transportation needs, recreational opportunities, and ecological impacts
2. creation of a phased list of future trail development projects, cost estimates, and conceptual drawings for said projects contained within the master plan
3. funding strategy contained within the master plan and narrative that can be used in future fundraising efforts
4. an ecological recommendation component included in the master plan
5. creation of design standards for trails
The master planning process is still currently in progress at the time of this grant application and nearing completion in the Summer of 2022. THK Associates as identified a series of gaps in the existing trail system that can be eliminated through ROW acquisitions and additional bridge crossings and underpasses.
In public meetings to date, the ASU Bridge proposed in this RGITP project is again emerging as the top priority connection. Upon completion, the final master plan will be published on the Alamosa Parks and Recreation website at https://bit.ly/ AlamosaTrailPlanning.
RAISE grant award-winning projects were evaluated on several criteria, including safety, environmental sustainability, quality of life, economic competitiveness and opportunity, partnership and collaboration, innovation, state of good repair, and mobility and community connectivity. Within these areas, the Department considered how projects will improve accessibility for all travelers, bolster supply chain efficiency, and support racial equity and economic growth – especially in historically disadvantaged communities and areas of persistent poverty.
“We are proud to support so many outstanding infrastructure projects in communities large and small, modernizing America’s transportation systems to make them safer, more affordable, more accessible, and more sustainable,” said Secretary Buttigieg.
The RAISE program is one of several ways communities can secure funding for projects under the Infrastructure Law’s competitive grant programs. Later this year, recipients of the first-ever National Infrastructure Project Assistance (MEGA) program, as well as the Infrastructure for Rebuilding America (INFRA) program and the Rural Surface Transportation Grant Program (RURAL) will be announced.
• 50% of funding is designated for projects in rural areas, and 50% of the funding is designated for projects in urban areas.
• Nearly two-thirds of projects are located in areas of persistent poverty or historically disadvantaged communities.
• The largest grant award is $25 million. Per statute, no more than $341.25 million could be awarded to a single state in this round of funding.
• Among this year’s selected projects, 11 included a local hire provision.
• Several projects include workforce development aspects including four projects that have project labor agreements, eight projects that have registered apprenticeship programs and an additional eight projects with other workforce development provisions.
The full list of awards can be found at transportation. gov/raisegrants/raise-2022-fact-sheets.
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By Todd Pernsteiner, Pernsteiner Creative Group
A popular youth volleyball program in the City of Yuma has been going strong for more than 17 years thanks to Ron Wills, Yuma’s Park and Recreation Director who started the program in 2005. While many communities offer volleyball leagues and classes, Yuma’s program is unique in how young their new participants are. The “Wee Volleyball” program is geared to young people in grades Kindergarten through 3rd, and the “VolleyStars” program works with youth in grades 4th through 6th.
Wills says the goal for the Wee program is for kids to get an introduction to the sport. Teaching very basic fundamental skills, serving, and passing. “We tell the kids ‘you have to be able to serve or you can’t score any points and once the other team serves, you have to learn to pass the ball back over the net.’ Again, very basic skills, and we add fun little games so they compete but are laughing while learning,” he said. “We are working with very young kids whose motor skills are still improving, so we stay away from setting and any footwork that could lead up to spiking. Those skills will come in time.”
On average, Yuma’s Wee Volleyball program has roughly 35-40 kids participating. While volleyball is a coed sport, the city typically has around 10 boys participating in the program on average. Yuma’s popular Flag Football program runs at the same time of year and that takes most of the boys.
To accommodate the height of players as young as age 5, Wee Volleyball uses badminton nets that are about 4-feet off the ground. They use 6-inch beach balls for K-1st graders, as this is an early learning time for most of the kids. The beach ball floats in the air longer and is softer. Volleylite volleyballs, which are closer to regular volleyballs but lighter, are used for 2nd & 3rd graders.
The free volleyball camp for the Wee Volleyballers just starting out is one of the biggest highlights for the new participants. “We start our volleyball season with all the players, grades K-6th participating in a free volleyball camp put on by our high school coaches and players. This is a great opportunity for the young girls to get instruction from the high schoolers that they get to watch on the big court!” said Wills. “I’ve always believed that both the young girls and high schoolers gain so much from this interaction.”
When it comes to programming, Meeker, a Colorado town of roughly 2,700 residents, is keeping up with the likes of bigger communities.
“Meeker provides a lot of opportunities that attract locals as well as those from surrounding communities,” said Sean VonRoenn, Executive Director for ERBM Recreation & Park District which is based in Meeker. “We draw a lot of people from the City of Craig as well since the nearest community is more than 40 miles away in every direction.”
“The ERBM board has been open to updating our amenities as needed and sees value in investing in long-term potential. This has allowed us to invest
in our own equipment, like our indoor/ outdoor inflatables,” added VonRoenn.
VonRoenn said Meeker is the place to go for indoor pool activities and running events. The district also uses an old school building as an activity center where they host recreation programs such as adult fitness, tumbling, and karate for all ages, from toddlers through seniors. Meeker also hosts activities at the new high school indoor track.
VonRoenn said none of the district’s offerings could happen without their dedicated staff. Recreation Coordinators Kari Jo Stevens and Shawnna Knez work with a great team of staff that manage some unique offerings.
The Summer Bounce & Splash Series has seen many names and reiterations over the years. Initially started as a Root Beer Float Day in August, it has now transformed into a large-scale event with inflatables, pool time, and a slip-andslide. It’s popular among both Meeker residents and visitors.
“For an event like the Summer Bounce & Splash Series, our entire department works hard to pull it together –maintenance, aquatics, and recreation,” said Knez. “It’s a true team effort.”
In the summer, Meekerpalooza draws hundreds of locals and tourists every year. Held in downtown Meeker on five Fridays in June and July, the event offers a farmers market, live music, a beer garden, activites like spikeball, plus tournaments for cornhole, volleyball and pickleball. The family-friendly Meekerpalooza events are sponsored by ERBM Recreation & Park District, Meeker Chamber of Commerce, and Meeker Arts & Cultural Council.
Meeker’s running and hiking clubs are popular among residents. The running club is a slightly competitive running series for runners of all abilities. Each week runners meet for a variety of pre-determined courses between two and six miles in length. The top five finishers each week earn points. At the end of the series, the male and female runners with the most points each receive a special prize. Runners that participate in at least six of the weekly runs receive a t-shirt. The hiking club offers an opportunity to explore the beauty of Northwest Colorado. Each Saturday from mid-June to late July, hikers meet at a new trail at 8 a.m. to explore.
VonRoenn is especially proud of Meeker’s dance & tumbling programs. “For a small community, our dance and tumbling classes are extremely robust,” he explained. “In addition to year-round classes, the program hosts two recitals annually.”
The dance and tumbling program has offerings for boys and girls of all ages:
• For 2 and 3-year-olds, the Tiny Tumble class teaches tumbling skills and the Tiny Dance class gets tots movin’ and shakin’, rockin’ and rollin’ to new and familiar music.
• The Creative Movement class introduces 4 to 6-year-olds to tap, jazz and ballet dance, while the Tumble Fun program introduces them to large muscle activities, coordination and
Students in grades 1-6 and 7-12 can take part in various levels
The EBRM Dance Company is geared toward participants who are more serious about taking their dance and performing experience to the next level. Dance company participants in grades 7-12 have the opportunity to perform in
ERBM also offers financial support and has a presence at the annual Meeker Classic, a five-day event that showcases working stock dogs through sheepdog trials and related activities. The international event draws thousands of people to Meeker the week after Labor Day. In addition to the sheep dog competition, the event hosts a culinary and cultural event, an art show, educational programs, a craft and vendor fair, food vendors, and crafts demonstrations. The Meeker Classic is a non-profit organization made up of 15 board members and more than 375 volunteers.
For the past two summers, the Wellspring Project in Fruita has offered middle school students a five-day summer intensive that would address the complexities of the Colorado River and provide an opportunity to respond artistically to that experience. Through field experiences, an overnight river trip, and interactions with stakeholders interested in how the Colorado River is allocated and protected, students have engaged in a myriad of opportunities and learned more about this valuable resource.
The Wellspring Project came to fruition after Fruita Arts and Culture Board member Marian Heesaker discovered that Arts in Society, a grant program from the Redline Contemporary Art Center in Denver, was looking to fund
art-related projects that promoted social justice and community welfare. Heesaker and the Arts and Culture Board submitted a grant application and were awarded $20,000 for the project.
“Water issues in the west have become such a big social issue,” said Heesaker. “Fruita has a large farm, ranch, and agriculture presence which the Colorado River runs through. By engaging youth in this type of project, we hoped to build a foundation of heightened awareness and create a wellspring of ideas and conversations that will carry on the important work that will be needed to care for and preserve one of our very foundations of life.”
With the Arts in Society grant, the Arts and Culture Board developed a weeklong camp specifically for middle school
students that would address water usage. “They don’t drive, they’re not too cool for a camp, and are a generation who may face the most consequential scenarios based around water – major drops in the reservoir,” Heesaker explained about the camper age demographic. “They need to have a seat at the table to recognize we need to care for the river and find ways to manage climate change, adapt agricultural practices, enact wildfire prevention methods, protect four species of fish that are endangered, and prevent invasive species.”
In their first summer camp (summer of 2021), the Wellspring Project had 13 students participate from Fruita and the Lower Valley. In the first two days of the camp, Heesaker and Tom Casal, Fruita
Parks & Recreation recreation superintendent, took the campers on field tours to learn about the canal system, local farms, water management, and water rights. Days three and four included an overnight rafting trip led by Colorado Canyons Association on the Ruby Horsethief section of the Colorado River. During the week, the students journaled, participated in activities, and collected river rock with a geologist that they later used to create sculptures to depict the canyon. The camp also included working on art projects with instructor Pavia Justinian, a Colorado painter and sculptor. At the end of the week, the students created two 75’ murals that represented what they did over the entire week.
In the second year (2022), 16 middle school students took part in the camp. RiversEdge West, a nonprofit whose mission is to advance the restoration of riparian lands through collaboration,
education, and technical assistance, took over the project with assistance from Heesaker and the Fruita Arts & Culture Board. Colorado artist and art instructor for Fruita Parks and Recreation program, Andrea Stolarczyk, took over as art director in year two.
Stolarczyk was incredibly impressed by the growth of all the campers. “Middle School students are at a fragile age, they’re quiet, don’t feel connected to each other very much,” she said. “After a week of being exposed to a variety of people and interests, they’ve discovered a passion for how they can be of service to the cause. They have an opinion. They have a spark. They can articulate how they want to help. They want to tell other people what they learned.”
In the 2022 summer camp, students were each given an art journal to work on as the week went on. They were also given a 12x12 wooden panel to create part
of a larger a larger mural. Each student was given a reference photo and could use whatever artistic medium they’d like to create their section. In the end, the mural pieces were put together to create a cohesive image – the Colorado River. The mural is on display at the RiversEdge office in Grand Junction.
“The Wellspring Project has been a great opportunity for the City of Fruita to partner on. It focuses on issues happening now and helps tomorrow’s leaders get invested in their future,” said Casal. “It’s been rewarding to see how excited and engaged our young people have been in this weeklong endeavor. The project has established solid roots and should continue to grow each year. I can’t wait to see where it goes.”
The first year of the Wellspring Project was coordinated by the Fruita Arts & Culture Board with the City of Fruita Parks & Recreation being the sponsor. Parks & Recreation helped support and market the project, provided classroom space and transportation on the 2-day trip. In year two, the Wellspring Project was coordinated by RiversEdge West, in partnership with the City of Fruita Arts and Culture Board, Colorado Canyons Association, and local volunteers. Funding is provided by RiversEdge West, the Western Colorado Community Foundation, and Xcel Energy.
A pond in Lakewood’s Bear Creek Greenbelt is now home to a collection of plant-filled floating islands that are helping prevent harmful algae blooms.
Lee Blair, natural resources specialist with the City of Lakewood, said the 12 free-floating islands are part of a pilot program in the park’s western pond, which is sometimes called Horseshoe Pond. The program was created to improve water quality and wildlife habitat.
Blair explained that each island has about 38 planting holes. Sedges, which are grass-like plants, and rushes, which are flowering plants with stem-like leaves, were placed in each hole and their roots trail in the water below. Those roots help remove excess nutrients, which prevents algae blooms that suck the oxygen out of the water, he said. Algae blooms are not uncommon across Colorado in the summer — in 2019, officials in Lakewood said they found toxic blue-green algae in Horseshoe Pond.
Blair said these artificial wetland habitats are made of recycled materials and injected with foam to stay afloat.
A fence surrounds the island to keep geese off, but a small edge on the sides is available for creatures like snapping turtles and small birds to rest. In addition, the fence allows pollinators to access the flowering plants on the islands. Underneath, fish can hide and rest among the roots, Blair said.
While it’s a pilot program, Blair said he is hopeful that it will be successful so the city can adopt it across more local waterways.
Lakewood’s Parks and Public Works departments partnered with Bear Creek Watershed Association for this project.
The floating islands project is an award-winning bluegreen algae mitigation project in the Bear Creek Greenbelt. Lakewood Natural Resource Specialist Lee Blair was awarded the 2022 Colorado Open Space Alliance Blue Grama Award for Outstanding Achievement in Ecological Management for his work on the project. The alliance acknowledges only a small number of projects from around the state each year, and this is the first time Lakewood received an award.
To see a video about the floating islands project and watch Blair talk about how they help preserve the greenbelt environment, visit bit.ly/floatingislandsLakewood.
In south-central Colorado, the main channel of the mighty Rio Grande cuts through the City of Alamosa. The Rio Grande is the lifeblood of Alamosa and the surrounding San Luis Valley. It is a vital natural resource for the region that sustains the agricultural economy, ecosystems, and the local outdoor recreation economy. Within the Alamosa, an extensive levee system protects the City from flooding in high water years. Historically, the river had been underutilized in the City for waterbased recreation as residents didn’t have clear access to it after the levee was built. Only a small group of locals knew
how to access it for inner tubing and kayaking.
In 2016, the Rio Grande Farm Park, a non-profit organization created “Weekends on the Rio,” a program to promote the amazingly beautiful natural resource in the community – with goals of getting Alamosa residents and families outdoors to enjoy the river corridor.
In 2017, a year after Weekends on the Rio was created, the City of Alamosa updated its comprehensive plan based on feedback from residents and stakeholders. Embracing the river
corridor was ranked as a #1 priority by the community.
“Residents have always placed a highpriority on parks and recreation, so much so that they voted to pass a ½ cent sales tax earmarked to fund parks and recreation programming and facilities,” said John Reesor, Outdoor Recreation Supervisor and Grants Coordinator with the city.
Also in 2017, the City of Alamosa was awarded a 3-year, $868,000 Generation Wild grant from Great Outdoors Colorado (GOCO). The City, along with 7 other local agencies and non-profits, created a coalition of outdoor programming partnerships – adopting Weekends on the Rio as one of them.
Stand-up paddleboarding and kayaking, the first program incorporated into Weekends on the Rio, quickly became popular among outdoors enthusiasts. Adam State University’s outdoor program, one of these coalition partners, would rent their paddleboards to residents at no charge. Soon after, the City purchased additional paddleboards with the GOCO grant to accommodate rental requests.
Weekends on the Rio has continued to grow and become a well-established program with steady participation.
Every Sunday in the summer, paddleboarding brings about 40-50 participants, yoga another 10-20 people, and archery, which is popular with youth, accommodates roughly 10-15 people each week. The Sunday events also coincide with a concert in the park later in the evening.
In 2021, through support of Great Outdoors Colorado and the Colorado Water Conservation Board, the City constructed two boat ramps on the Rio Grande in Alamosa that allows recreators to conveniently get their boats and inner tubes down the levee and into the river channel. “I have seen an explosion of recreational usage on the Rio Grande since we started Weekends on the Rio and installed these boat ramps. It’s no longer a local secret that the river in town is open to enjoy,” says Reesor.
In 2022, the city began offering inner tube rentals and inner tube shuttle transportation drop-offs. The City purchased a fleet of innertubes for residents to reserve online.
Reesor, who has a master’s degree in business administration, has been influential in helping the city with planning, trail development, fundraising, and grant writing. The city received another GOCO grant for $1.8 million in 2021 to help outdoor youth programming.
“I’ve enjoyed watching the Weekend on the Rio program grow and look forward to more partnerships within our Generation Wild Coalition.,” said Reesor. “These collaborative efforts are the perfect example of embracing the slogan of ‘Creating Community Through People, Parks & Programs.’”
In 2022, Alamosa Parks and Recreation and Adams State Adventure Programs presented their second-annual Rio Trio, an adventurestyle triathlon race within the City of Alamosa. The fully chip-timed race features an 8-mile trail bike ride, a 3-mile paddle on the Rio Grande, and a 5k run. Participants are given the option of doing all three legs of the race solo, or as a part of a 3-person relay team. They could bring their own boat or rent a kayak or paddle board while supplies were available. your own. After the race, participants are treated to an outdoor awards ceremony, lunch made from local ingredients, and local beer. A children’s adventure triathlon (ages 6-11) is offered before the main event. More information can be found at rioraces.com.
Q: When did the Aurora Cooks program begin?
A. It started in the 1990’s at our Expo Recreation Center kitchen. It has grown to 3 kitchens adding Central and Moorhead Recreation Centers.
A. This is a hard one. 30+ years, 4 seasons a year … 60,000 +.
A. We have three teaching kitchens in Central, Moorhead and Expo Recreation Centers. We also have run virtual classes out of our kitchens.
A. Aurora Cooks is run though the Recreation Division of the City of Aurora’s Parks, Recreation and Open Space department. Our chefs are full time with part time chefs and assistants. We are always looking for talented / creative chefs and assistants for our cooking team.
A. We run classes for 3 years old all the way to 21+ and everything in between.
A. Currently we hold about 350 classes yearly. This includes some summer camps and afterschool snack creations. We also provide, upon request, specialty family or team building classes!
A. Upcoming classes include: Thorburger, Rock the Wok, Frightful Finger Food and Holy Mole.
A. Our program is very accessible and affordable to the general public. We offer an interactive cooking experience where our guests leave with tangible tips and tricks that they can take home affecting the way they feed their families and friends. Our experienced chef instructors will walk guests through methodology and techniques making even the most advanced recipes approachable. All recipes are emailed to participants after class. People are most surprised by our 21+ classes which include alcohol. We have liquor licenses for these classes. Most of these classes our participants come as a “date night”.
Q. Who runs the program? Is it done by Aurora city staff or by an outside organization?
A. We have many regulars, repeat guests and those that come to check class out in response to a recommendation. They also usually bring a friend!
A. During the Covid shut down of programs, we were the first program in our Recreation division to go virtual with our classes. Our guests would receive the recipes, shop for ingredients and cook in their own kitchens with our chefs guiding them - virtually. We had one family that signed up and included a family member from Australia.
A. This is one of our Parent Tot classes. A parent brings their child (3-6 years old) and we facilitate a cooking experience for them. Generally these classes are theme based classes and one of our most popular categories. This class focuses on making fun “miniaturized” recipes.
A delicious disaster has occurred. The shrink ray has malfunctioned and blasted our kitchen and MINIATURIZED everything. Join us as prepare some hugely flavorful yet teeny-tiny dishes with your toddlers. Menu: Mini Buttermilk Biscuit Breakfast Sliders, Shrunken Cinnamon Rainbow Toast and Shrink Ray Fresh Apple Ginger Lemonade.
By Allysen Santilli, City of Lakewood
A group of Lakewood residents can experience music like never before while they dance along to the beat! Feel the Beat, a local nonprofit on a mission to make the experience of music and dance possible for those who are Deaf, Hard of Hearing and for those with or without disabilities, has partnered with the City of Lakewood, to bring a one-of-a-kind reverberating floor to Whitlock Recreation Center.
Through Feel the Beat’s patented floor technology, sound waves are converted into vibrations felt on a pliable floor. These vibrations travel through the bones and hearing system just as a sound wave would move through the air, allowing students to connect with the music and the beat through body motion. When combined with a specialized curriculum, musical tools and teachers communicating via Sign Language, the result is a fully accessible and inclusive music and dance experience.
“From the first class, she attended we could tell this was going to have an amazing influence on her. When she first felt the music through the floor she just lit up!” said participant parent, Jenny Watson. Residents were invited to attend a launch party and open house on Saturday, Sept. 10 p.m. to feel the beat and learn about the exceptional program.
About Feel the Beat: Since its founding in 2016, Feel the Beat has served more than 6,000 students of all ages and abilities through hip-hop, jazz, ballet, and movement classes. After running a successful dance studio for several years in Wheat Ridge, Feel the Beat now partners with community organizations and locations to install its floor and curriculum in community spaces including at Whitlock Recreation Center.
It’s time to plan ahead for the coming 2023 editions of our Colorado Byline magazine and we want to feature YOU.
We have opportunities to get featured in Byline and add being published in your state professional magazine to your resume!
For reference, CPRA members can view past issues of Byline on www.cpra-web.org.
1. Get Included in the NEW Keeping Up Section
Keeping Up is a regular feature to highlight CPRA agency and member updates. This is a great place to submit articles about a special event, project, staff update, or retirement. Articles can be as short as one sentence or up to 300 words and can include a photo.
2. Submit Feature Articles –
We welcome article submissions from CPRA agencies about topics relevant to our mission. Articles should be between 250-500 words and include 3-4 high-resolution photos.
If you don’t have the bandwidth to submit an article but have an idea about an article that would fit one of our issue topics, please share it with us! Send us a brief explanation of the article and who to contact. If we can we will do the leg-work to research and write the article for you.
Send your article or article topic, photos, and any other information to Jillian Strogis at jillians@cpra-web.org. If you have questions, call (720) 588-0943.
Byline magazine, online, email and event sponsorships and advertising are available. Contact Todd Pernsteiner at todd@pernsteiner.com or (952) 841-1111 to discuss exposure opportunities.
Winter 2023 Byline
Article deadline January 30, 2023 Mails & Online March 2023
Theme: Revenue Generation
• Funding for Programs & Facilities
• Funding case studies
• Memorial programs - benches, parks
• Grantwriting and development
• Sponsorship and advertising
• Parks Workshop and Tradeshow Preview
• CPRA Award Winners
• Outside the Box Programs Part 2fitness, health, athletics
Spring 2023 Byline
Article deadline April 5, 2023
Mails & Online May 2023
Theme: 2023 Industry Trends
Trends in:
• Park, trails, and facility design
• Going green and energy savings
• Technology • Emergency Response
• All About Aquatics
• Exceptional Volunteers & Staff
Summer 2023 Byline
Article deadline July 8, 2023 Mails & Online August 2023
Theme: Creative Play for All
• Opportunities for All Residents
• Themed playgrounds and design trends
Inclusion and accessibility
Facility and park design
Equity and diversity
Promotion of programs
Senior programs and trips
• 2023 Conference Preview
Fall 2023 Byline with Buyer’s Guide
(Buyer’s Guide included in Fall issue)
Article deadline September 27, 2023
Mails & Online: November 2023
Theme: Tech 4 Rec
• Technology Now & in the Future
Tech for facilities, fields, playgrounds
Programming and registration
Classes in communities
Social media, website, advertising
Contests and surveys
2023 Conference in Review
2023-24 Buyer’s Guide
content subject to change and will be announced
to
information at todd@pernsteiner.com or (952) 841-1111 for more information.
Todd Pernsteiner
Athletic, Park, and Playground Equipment
The PlayWell Group, Inc.
CPRA is pleased to be able to offer to you another service through this buyers guide. The companies that are listed in the following pages are ones who have chosen to support CPRA as an Association-wide sponsor, Industry Partner, Annual Conference sponsor, or advertiser.
We certainly hope that when you have the ability to utilize one of their services that you would give them the opportunity to bid on your project or program. Keep this resource on-hand to utilize throughout the year. If you’re interested in becoming a CPRA Industry Partner, contact Jillian Strogis at jillians@cpra-web.org or call (720) 588-0943.
A to Z Recreation www.atozrecreation.com
Action Pact, Inc. www.myactionpact.org
Advanced Exercise www.advancedexercise.com
All American Sports Material www.burnco.com
Altitude Recreation www. triplemrec.com
American Ramp Company www.americanrampcompany.com
American Red Cross www.redcross.org
Aquatic Chemical Solutions www.acsrm.com
Aquatic Resources www.aquatic-resources.com
Association of Aquatic Professionals www.aquaticpros.org
Barker Rinker Seacat Architecture www.brsarch.com
BerryDunn www.berrydunn.com
Bobcat of the Rockies www.bobcatoftherockies.com
BSN Sports www.bsnsports.com
Buckeye International www.buckeyeinternational.com
Buffalo Brand Seed www.buffalobrandseed.com
CEM Sales & Service www.cemsales.com
Churchich Recreation LLC www.churchichrecreation.net
Clear Comfort www.clearcomfort.com
Colorado Lottery www.PlayOnColorado.com
Colorado Pool Designs www.coloradopooldesigns.com
Commercial Fitness Solutions www.commercialfitness.com
Counsilman-Hunsaker counsilmanhunsaker.com
Dash Station www.dash-station.com
DaySmart Recreation www.daysmart.com
DBC Irrigation Supply www.dbcirrigation.com
Defy Gravity dba Colorado Family Guidance https://coloradofamilyguidance. wordpress.com
Delta Timber & Landscape Supply www.deltatimber.com
Design 2B Fit www.design2bfit.com
Design Concepts www.dcla.net
DTJ Design www.dtjdesign.com
ECI Site Construction Management www.ecisite.net
ePRepSolutions www.eprepsolutions.net
Essenza Architecture www.essenza-arch.com
Ewing Irrigation www.ewingirrigation.com
Express Mulching & Soil LLC www.expressmulching.com
Fonroche Lighting America www.fonroche.us
Fry & Associates, Inc. www.fryinc.com
GameTime www.gametime.com
GOCO www.goco.org
GR Marolt & Associates, LLC www.maroltandassociates.com
Ground Solutions www.groundsolutionsco.com HDR www.hdrinc.com
Hord Coplan Macht www.hcm2.com
Iconergy, Ltd. www.iconergyco.com
Ireland Stapleton Pryor & Pascoe www.irelandstapleton.com
Issuu www.issuu.com
iZone Imaging www.izoneimaging.com
Kimley-Horn Associates www.kimley-horn.com
Lively Tours and Talks www.livelytoursandtalks.com
LL Johnson www.lljohnson.com
Lose Design www.lose.design
Mark Young Construction, LLC www.poolrenovation.com
Mid-America Pool Renovation www.poolrenovation.com
Miracle League Denver www.miracleleaguedenver.com
Movement2Be
Musco Sports Lighting www.musco.com
National Fitness Campaign www.nfchq.com
OLC Architecture, Interiors and Aquatics www.olcdesigns.com
Omega II Fence Systems www.omegatwo.com
Oxbow Design Collaborative www.oxbowdbc.com
Pernsteiner Creative Group www.pernsteiner.com
PidjCo www.pidj.co
Pinkard Construction Co. www.pinkardcc.com
Pioneer www.pioneerco.com
Potestio Brothers Equipment wwwpbequip.com
Power Turf Renovation LLC www.powerturfrenovation.com
Products4Parks www.products4parks.com
Push Pedal Pull www. pushpedalpull.com
Rain Bird Corporation www.rainbird.com
Recreation Payments www.recreationpay.com
Recreation Plus, Ltd. www.RecreationPlus.com
Renner Sports Surfaces www.rennersports.com
Rocky Mountain Playground Services www.rmplaygroundservices.com
Rocky Mountain Recreation www.rmrec.com
Rocky Mountain Turf Solutions www.rmtsconst.com
Romtec, Inc. www.romtec.com
Safety Solved www.safety-solved.com
Slate Communications www.slatecommunications.com
SmartRec by Amilia www.amilia.com
Splash Pool Services, Inc. www.splashpoolservices.com
Sport & Fitness Commercial Exercise Equipment and Service www.sportandfitnessinc.com
Star Playgrounds www.starplaygrounds.com
Technogym USA www.technogym.com
The PlayWell Group, Inc,. www.playwellgroup.com
Total Aquatic Programming www.totalaquatic.llc
Vortex Aquatic Structures International www.vortex-intl.com
Water Technology, Inc. www.wtiworld.com
jgenck@berrydunn.com www.berrydunn.com
Aquatic Chemical Solutions matt@acsrm.com (303) 263-2222 www.acsrm.com
Aquatic Resources
bryan@aquatic-resources.com www.aquatic-resources.com
Association of Aquatic Professionals juliene@aquaticpros.org www.aquaticpros.org
CEM Sales & Service
Jteska@cemsales.com (303) 762-9470 www.cemsales.com
Clear Comfort tom@clearcomfort.com (608) 332-8371 www.clearcomfort.com
Colorado Pool Designs C Andy@coloradopooldesigns.com (303) 827-9186 www.coloradopooldesigns.com
Counsilman-Hunsaker dougcook@chh20.com (303) 384-9500 www.counsilmanhunsaker.com
Mid-America Pool Renovation ryan@poolrenovation.com (816) 994-3300 www.poolrenovation.com
Splash Pool Services, Inc. amy@splashpoolservices.com (970) 672-8778 www.splashpoolservices.com
Total Aquatic Programming sue.nelson@totalaquatic.llc www.totalaquatic.llc
International mlynn@vortex-intl.com (303) 916-4524 www.vortex-intl.com
Water Technology, Inc. Events@wtiworld.com (920) 887-7375 www.wtiworld.com
Barker Rinker Seacat Architecture billclifford@brsarch.com www.brsarch.com
Design Concepts ericas@dcla.net (303) 664-5301 www.dcla.net
DTJ Design jjohnston@dtjdesign.com www.dtjdesign.com
Essenza Architecture C christa@essenza-arch.com (303) 952-5080 www.essenza-arch.com
HDR julianne.scherer@hdrinc.com (303) 319-3528 www.hdrinc.com
Hord Coplan Macht rbartling@hcm2.com (303) 607-0977 www.hcm2.com
Kimley-Horn Associates nick.kuhn@kimley-horn.com (314) 706-3104 www.kimley-horn.com
Lose Design C bbarth@lose.design (720) 647-8572 www.lose.design
OLC Architecture, Interiors and Aquatics
Oxbow Design Collaborative david@oxbowdbc.com (303) 819-1545 www.oxbowdbc.com
ATTORNEYS Ireland Stapleton Pryor & Pascoe info@irelandstapleton.com (303) 623-2700 www.irelandstapleton.com
Buckeye International jschirmer@buckeyeinternational.com
Action Pact, Inc. dgriffin@myactionpact.org www.myactionpact.org
Defy Gravity dba Colorado Family Guidance kim.defygravity@gmail.com (719) 371-3203
Miracle League Denver jim.morgan@ miracleleaguedenver.com www.miracleleaguedenver.com Movement2Be kshullpt@gmail.com
ECI Site Construction Management
ted.johnson@ecisite.net www.ecisite.net
Mark Young Construction LLC kwybenga@ markyoungconstruction.com (303) 776-1449 www.markyoungconstruction.com
Pinkard Construction Co. C Jose.Amaya@pinkardcc.com (303) 986-4555 www.pinkardcc.com
Iconergy, Ltd. churst@iconergyco.com (720) 556-6838 www.iconergyco.com
Advanced Exercise C lemrich@advancedexercise.com (303) 996-0048 www.advancedexercise.com Commercial Fitness Solutions ken@commercialfitness.com (720) 479-8200 www.commercialfitness.com
ANational Fitness Campaign trent@nfchq.com www.nfchq.com
Push Pedal Pull gcornyn@pushpedalpull.com (720) 347-7253 www.pushpedalpull.com
Sport & Fitness Commercial Exercise Equipment and Service ken@sportandfitnessinc.com (970) 482-0551 www.sportandfitnessinc.com
Technogym USA jwitt@technogym.com www.technogym.com
Lively Tours and Talks dave@livelytoursandtalks.com (970) 531-1211 www.livelytoursandtalks.com
Bobcat of the Rockies jkelley@bobcatoftherockies.com (303) 615-3140 www.bobcatoftherockies.com
LL Johnson dmelchior@lljohnson.com (303) 394-6657 www.lljohnson.com
Power Turf Renovation LLC powerturfrenovation@gmail.com (623) 670-3411 www.powerturfrenovation.com
Potestio Brothers Equipment bruces@pbequip.com (719) 550-0680 pbequip.com
DBC Irrigation Supply Sales@dbcirrigation.com (303) 295-1777 www.dbcirrigation.com
Ewing Irrigation mhulsey@ewingirrigation.com (602) 437-9530 www.ewingirrigation.com
Rain Bird Corporation Abarber@rainbird.com (970) 846-7163 www.rainbird.com
Fonroche Lighting America joya.daccache@fonroche.us www.fonroche.us
Musco Sports Lighting S lesley.lyman@musco.com (641) 673-0411 www.musco.com
Colorado Lottery S daniel.bewley@state.co.us (800) 999-2959 www.PlayOnColorado.com
GOCO jmiller@goco.org (303) 226-4524 www.goco.org
Pernsteiner Creative Group todd@pernsteiner.com (952) 841-1111 www.pernsteiner.com
Slate Communications S john@slatecommunications.com (970) 219-8028 www.slatecommunications.com
All American Sports Material Bill.schell@burnco.com (970) 593-1418 www.burnco.com
Buffalo Brand Seed ldoyle@buffalobrandseed.com (970) 356-4710 www.buffalobrandseed.com
Delta Timber & Landscape Supply eric@deltatimber.com (970) 249-8171 www.deltatimber.com
Express Mulching & Soil C nick@expressmulching.com (720) 288-1466 www.expressmulching.com
Ground Solutions C mike@groundsolutionsco.com (970) 744-0782 www.groundsolutionsco.com
Pioneer ben.powell@pioneerco.com (719) 334-6343 www.pioneerco.com
Issuu success@issuu.com www.issuu.com
Recreation Plus LetsPlay@RecreationPlus.com (303) 278-1455 www.RecreationPlus.com
Recreation Plus LetsPlay@RecreationPlus.com (303) 278-1455 www.RecreationPlus.com
Recreation Plus LetsPlay@RecreationPlus.com (303) 278-1455 www.RecreationPlus.com
Romtec, Inc. hduncan@romtec.com (541) 496-3541 www.romtec.com
A to Z Recreation office@atozrecreation.com (303) 670-3789 www.atozrecreation.com
A to Z Recreation office@atozrecreation.com (303) 670-3789 www.atozrecreation.com
Natural play meets urban design in the NU-Edge GSX for activity that builds balance and overall confidence. This compact piece offers a gauntlet of challenges for a child. How will they choose to get to the rope bridge? The options are as limitless as a child’s imagination. Climb the crisscrossing ropes to escape a collapsing tomb or slide into an unexplored jungle. Stay steady on the large rope over a course of raging rapids. Hang out between the top wooden planks to plan the next adventure. The NU-Edge GSX invites kids, and kids-at-heart, to channel their creativity in a space that teeters between the rustic and the modern.
Altitude Recreation P djohannsen@triplemrec.com (480) 315-9103 www. triplemrec.com
American Ramp Company dreww@americanrampcompany.com www.americanrampcompany.com
Churchich Recreation LLC chris@churchichrecreation.net (303) 530-4414 www.churchichrecreation.net
Fry & Associates, Inc. jack@fryinc.com (816) 221-4725 www.fryinc.com
GameTime P Kathryn.Barnes@gametime.com (615) 426-7801 www.gametime.com
GR Marolt & Associates, LLC bmarolt@comcast.net (303) 762-1090 www.maroltandassociates.com
Products4Parks jim@products4parks.com www.products4parks.com
Star Playgrounds C erin@starplaygrounds.com (303) 791-7626 www.starplaygrounds.com
The PlayWell Group, Inc. G james@playwellgroup.com www.playwellgroup.com
iZone Imaging michael.dean@izoneimaging.com (254) 314-8248 www.izoneimaging.com
Renner Sports Surfaces ndepooter@rennersports.com (303) 825-3435 www.rennersports.com
Rocky Mountain Turf Solutions dave@rmtsconst.com (303) 596-7407 www.rmtsconst.com
TECHNOLOGY
Dash Station davidvfulton@gmail.com (720) 840-4261 www.dash-station.com
DaySmart Recreation timothy.roupe@daysmart.com www.daysmart.com
A to Z Recreation office@atozrecreation.com (303) 670-3789 www.atozrecreation.com
ePRepSolutions matt.hickey@eprepsolutions.net www.eprepsolutions.net
PidjCo C erik@pidj.co www.pidj.co
Recreation Plus LetsPlay@RecreationPlus.com (303) 278-1455 www.RecreationPlus.com
Recreation Payments bryan@recreationpay.com (877) 481-2756 www.recreationpay.com
Recreation Plus C LetsPlay@RecreationPlus.com (303) 278-1455 www.RecreationPlus.com
Rocky Mountain Playground Services rmplaygroundservices@gmail.com (720) 563-1838
Rocky Mountain Recreation info@rmrec.com (303) 783-1452 www.rmrec.com
BSN Sports bbeyerlein@bsnsports.com (214) 459-9031 www.bsnsports.com
amabel.zackon-gonzalez@amilia.com (514) 343-0004 www.amilia.com
TRAINING SERVICESCPR / AED / LIFEGUARD
Safety Solved Laurian@safety-solved.com (303) 257-9589 www.safety-solved.com
Winter 2023 Byline
Ad deadline
January 30, 2023
Mails & Online March 2023
Theme: Revenue Generation
• Funding for Programs & Facilities
• Funding case studies
• Memorial programs - benches, parks
Grantwriting and development
Sponsorship and advertising
• Parks Workshop and Tradeshow Preview
• CPRA Award Winners
• Outside the Box Programs Part 2fitness, health, athletics
Spring 2023 Byline
Ad deadline April 5, 2023
Mails & Online
Theme: 2023 Industry Trends
Trends in:
• Park, trails, and facility design
May 2023
Summer 2023 Byline
Ad deadline
July 8, 2023
Mails & Online August 2023
Theme: Creative Play for All
• Opportunities for All Residents
• Themed playgrounds and design trends
• Inclusion and accessibility
• Facility and park design
• Equity and diversity
• Promotion of programs
• Senior programs and trips
• 2023 Conference Preview
Fall 2023 Byline with Buyer’s Guide (Buyer’s Guide included in Fall issue)
Ad deadline September 27, 2023
Mails & Online: November 2023
Theme: Tech 4 Rec
• Technology Now & in the Future
• Tech for facilities, fields, playgrounds
• Programming and registration
• Going green and energy savings
• Technology
Emergency Response
All About Aquatics
• Exceptional Volunteers & Staff
• Classes in communities
• Social media, website, advertising
• Contests and surveys
• 2023 Conference in Review
• 2023-24 Buyer’s Guide
Email a print-ready PDF file (300 dpi) to todd@pernsteiner.com. For larger files, ask about transfer instructions.
Ads must be submitted print-ready. If you need design assistance, contact Todd Pernsteiner at (952) 841-1111 or todd@pernsteiner.com.
The publishers (Pernsteiner Creative Group and Colorado Parks & Recreation Association - CPRA) reserve the right to decline or suggest alterations to any and all submitted advertising.
(I) Byline
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(J) Byline inside back cover** 8.5" x 11" (+ .125" bleed) $1,400 $1,300 $1,250 $1,100 $1,300 $1,100
(K) Byline back cover** 8.5” x 8” (+ .125” bleed) $1,675 $1,525 $1,400 $1,325 $1,775 $1,400
(O) Byline Marketplace featured listing Photo, logo, 50 words $275 $250 $225 $200 $375 per issue
(P) Buyer's Guide
(Q) Buyer's
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First listing free; $75 each for each additional listing $75 per category
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GOCO offers competitive grant programs for outdoor recreation and land conservation projects in the state of Colorado. Grants are given for habitat restoration, land conservation, local government parks and outdoor recreation construction or planning, stewardship, as well as other special initiatives. Visit www.goco.org/ grants for more information.
The U.S. Department of Transportation’s Rebuilding American Infrastructure with Sustainability and Equity, or RAISE Discretionary Grant program, provides a unique opportunity for the DOT to invest in road, rail, transit and port projects that promise to achieve national objectives. Previously known as the Better Utilizing Investments to Leverage Development (BUILD) and Transportation Investment Generating Economic Recovery (TIGER) Discretionary Grants, Congress has dedicated nearly $9.9 billion for thirteen rounds of National Infrastructure Investments to fund projects that have a significant local or regional impact. Information about the RAISE 2023 competition is coming soon. The Department expects to publish the Notice of Funding Opportunity in November 2022 at https://www.transportation. gov/RAISEgrants/apply.
Colorado Parks and Wildlife has several programs to help fund projects developed or led by outside (non-CPW) personnel or groups. Programs are available to assist landowners with habitat conditions, to help communities build trails or improve fishing opportunities, to work with ranchers to reduce conflicts with big game, and much more. Focus areas, eligibility requirements, matching fund requirements and other aspects vary for each program. For more information visit https://cpw.state.co.us/ aboutus/Pages/GrantPrograms.aspx
Waste Management offers charitable gifts to promote civic pride, economic development and revitalization. Waste Management primarily supports environmental initiatives, including promoting parklands and green spaces for people to enjoy and play, and environmental education initiatives targeted at middle and high school students. Applications are accepted on an ongoing basis. Learn more and apply at www.wm.com/us/en/inside-wm/socialimpact/community-impact
The Colorado Parks Foundation, Inc. (CPF) is private 501 (c)(3) nonprofit organization that raises funds that are placed in an endowment to carry out its mission to enhance parks across the State of Colorado through grants that are awarded each year in May and November. Learn more at coloradoparksfoundation.org/grantapplication.html
Any parks department is eligible for playground equipment funding from GameTime. The deadline to submit your GameTime playground grant application is October 26, 2022. Apply online at gametime.com/playground-grant. GameTime has also compiled a list of local, regional, national and global funding sources to help you find the funds you need. With more than 30 pages of sources, including contact details, websites and grant and deadline information, Get more information at gametime. com/resources/playground-funding-guide.
Find out more about the latest grant opportunities to help you in funding your playground project. PlayCore has curated a comprehensive funding guide that identifies grant opportunities that begin at the local community level, all the way to cities, states, and internationally. Learn more at www.playandpark. com/funding.
The CAN’d Aid Foundation accepts applications from local government entities to help support recycling programs. The Foundation awards small grants to fund program expenses including signage and education, and also provides in-kind recycling tents, bins, and training on waste management. The typical award amount is $5,000. Applications are accepted on an ongoing basis. Learn more and apply at www.candaid.org.
To ensure that your organization fits within our foundation’s funding criteria, please review the foundation’s funding priorities. All applicants must be classified as a 501(c)(3) organization by the Internal Revenue Service. Special consideration given to rural Colorado nonprofits. Learn more at coorsfoundation.org.
The United States Department of Agriculture provides grants, low-interest direct loans, and/ or combinations of the two to develop essential community facilities in rural areas, including public facilities, community support services, and local food systems such as community gardens and food hubs. Public entities, nonprofit organizations, and tribal entities in rural communities are eligible to apply. Applications accepted on a rolling basis. Learn more at www.rd.usda.gov/programs-services.
Western Digital awards grants to nonprofit organizations that offer programs or services in alignment with their key areas of support including: hunger relief, environmental preservation, and veterans/military families. Applications are welcome from organizations with programs serving Boulder and El Paso Counties. www.westerndigital.com/company/ corporate-responsibility/philanthropy
*NOTE: This list of grants and funding was compliled using information that was readily available online. Colorado Recreation and Parks Association, Pernsteiner Creative Group, and their partners and affiliates do not endorse nor guarantee availability any of the funding programs mentioned in this article.
The AAD Shade Structure Grant Program awards grants of up to $8,000 to non-profit organizations for installing permanent shade structures for outdoor locations that are not protected from the sun, such as playgrounds, pools, or recreation spaces. www.aad.org/ public/public-health/shade-structure-grants.
State Farm grants focus on safety, education, and community development. They assist in programs conducted by municipal, county, state or federal government entities that align with the State Farm® charitable focuses - including neighborhood revitalization. www.statefarm. com/about-us/community-involvement.
This program provides the opportunity for MLB groundskeepers to share tips and techniques with other professional sports turf managers, coaches, parents and volunteers who are involved in the maintenance of youth baseball and softball fields. In conjunction with the clinics, the Baseball Tomorrow Fund awards a
$10,000 grant to a local organization selected by the participating Club. Grant funds are used for the purchase of field maintenance supplies, equipment or services. Learn more at www.mlb. com/baseball-tomorrow-fund/how-to-apply.
The United States Tennis Association (USTA) offers business development, advocacy, technical, and financial support to improve or construct tennis facilities across the country. In addition, each applicant will be appointed a project consultant from the USTA National staff who will deliver personalized support and service. Service applications are accepted on a rolling basis. Learn more at www.usta.com, search for “grants” in the search box.
Keep America Beautiful’s Community Restoration and Resiliency Fund benefits
Keep America Beautiful Affiliates that serve communities directly affected by natural and environmental disasters. The fund provides immediate and long-term support for initial and ongoing cleanup efforts and helps rebuild vital public spaces: parks, greenways, community
gateways, Main Street/downtown areas, open spaces and more. Applications accepted on a rolling basis. Learn more and apply at https://kab.org/grants.
We invest to connect people to the places where they live and to the public life of the community through the design, construction and programming of inclusive and equitable public spaces. We invest to attract and retain people in communities through inclusive and effective pathways to economic opportunity.
Details at https://knightfoundation.org/ communities/boulder/.
The National Recreation and Park Association (NRPA) periodically posts information about grant and fundraising opportunities that are available for park and recreation agencies and affiliated friends groups and 501(c)(3) nonprofits. For more information, visit https://www.nrpa. org/our-work/Grant-Fundraising-Resources.
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