CPRA Byline Magazine - Spring 2023

New Edge on the Horizon

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.

To see NU-Edge® GSX in action, visit LittleTikesCommercial.com/GSX

Designed with the ability to connect to an existing post and platform.

CONTENTS

UPCOMING BYLINE DEADLINES

Summer 2023 Issue

Content/Ad Deadline: June 15, 2023 | Mails: August 2023

Fall 2023 Issue

Content/Ad Deadline: August 15, 2023 | Mails: November 2023

Winter 2024 Issue

Content/Ad Deadline: January 23, 2024 | Mails: March 2024

Spring 2024 Issue

Content/Ad Deadline: March 25, 2024 | Mails: May 2024

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 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

Miguel Chavez City of Commerce City Parks, Recreation & Golf MChavez@c3gov.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: A Cultural ExpERIEnce in Erie Photo by: Karina Wlodarczak

GO DIGITAL

View this issue online at cpra-web.org/page/byline. Keep up on all things CPRA via Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn.

Colorado Byline is the quarterly publication of Colorado Parks & Recreation Association (CPRA) and is provided as a benefit to members. Submit your article to www. cpra-web.org/page/bylinearticlesub under publication resources. Submissions are edited and published as space allows. Letters to the editor, suggestions, comments and encouragement are welcome. Expressed opinions and statements in this publication do not necessarily represent the opinions of the CPRA board of directors or its membership.

Mission: Promote the parks and recreation profession and its growth throughout the State of Colorado.

Vision: A dynamic, proactive organization that creates healthy residents and livable communities by promoting excellence in parks and recreation.

Meet Katie Groke, Apex Park and Recreation District

By Monica Bowser, Marketing Administrator, Apex Park and Recreation District

Katie Groke has been working in the Parks and Recreation field for almost seven years, beginning her career at Apex as Director of Marketing and quickly moving up to Director of Community Services. Katie is a “yes” person who is always willing to jump in and do whatever is needed. When Katie is not overseeing Guest Services, Emergency Services, Marketing, Special Events, and the Active Adult department

at Apex, she jumps in with both feet to help her community. Katie sits on the Legislative Committee for CPRA, is a Board Member for Porchlight-A Family Justice Center, sits on the Arvada Chamber Board, and is raising two exceptional children with her husband, Adam. Katie also leads the CPRA Marketing group and brings her excellent knowledge of branding and fun!

Katie has changed the face of Marketing at Apex Park and Recreation. While working at Apex, she led the rebranding of the district and created two new positions: Emergency Management Manager and Marketing Administrator. Her vision for the big picture is opening

doors for employees and increasing community opportunities.

Katie’s philosophy is to be yourself. If you cannot be yourself in your work, life, and relationships, that is not where you should be and who you should report to. Find a leader who will let you be yourself. She talks about being on the journey and having a vibe. Katie sets a tone with her employees, coworkers, and community. She pushes us to believe in ourselves and reminds her people daily that if you are hiding and shrinking to fit in, you are not being you and not being happy.

Katie is the person you want in your life. She makes you want more, be more, and do more!

INDUSTRY SPOTLIGHT

National Fitness Campaign

UCHealth partners with National Fitness Campaign to fund healthy communities across Colorado

UCHealth and National Fitness Campaign (NFC) announced a statewide partnership providing $1,000,000 in grant funding for up to ten communities in Colorado. In addition to receiving initial grant funding to build their Fitness Court® and launch their local wellness campaign, grant recipients

will also receive a healthy lifestyle toolkit and programming to support community engagement for every UCHealth-sponsored Fitness Court®.

In 2019, the City of Loveland was the first recipient of a UCHealth Fitness Court®. Located at Fairgrounds Park, the Fitness Court® has become an impactful wellness hub for the community –offering a variety of free group fitness classes, bringing the local community together. Since then, over ten communities large and small have joined the statewide campaign, including Lakewood, Wheat Ridge, Englewood, and many more.

NFC is eager to work with municipalities and schools across Colorado to plan, design, and fund healthy communities, and the 2023-2024 application period is now open!

Visit www.nationalfitnesscampaign.com/colorado to learn more about how to qualify for the UCHealth Campaign and receive grant funding.

UCHealth and National Fitness Campaign (NFC)

announced a statewide partnership providing $1,000,000 in grant funding for

up to ten communities

in Colorado.

Elizabeth Kayl to Retire from City of Loveland

By Elizabeth Kayl, CPM, CPRP, Parks and Recreation Director, City of Loveland

On June 1, 2023, I will be retiring from municipal service in Parks and Recreation after 38 years in the field. I have worked for a total of 7 municipalities in 3 states: Colorado, Arizona and California, and have also worked for several years in Germany with MWR. Most currently, I am the Director of Parks and Recreation for the beautiful art-inspired City of Loveland, Colorado, where I have served in that capacity for the past 8+ years. I spent most of those years actively participating on the CPRA Directors’ Section as Secretary, offered Culture training through Lunch n’ Learns at different parts of the state, and was the first CPRA member to graduate from the Colorado Certified Public Manager (CPM) Program through the partnership with the School of Public Affairs at UC Denver.

I have been proud to be a part of many accomplishments with the Loveland

Parks and Recreation Department in the past 8 years, most notably achieving CAPRA certification in 2020 during the midst of a global pandemic. The strength and resilience of the Loveland team during those hard times was testimony why I place such a high focus on workplace culture. Additional milestones include the development of a robust open lands and trails program that has not only connected the recreation trail throughout the city, but is connecting

to our neighboring jurisdictions in all directions, the rebuilding of our treasured mountain park, Viestenz-Smith, after the devastation of the 2013 flood event, and the many partnerships established through strong relationships. Currently, we are doing two major initiatives that I wanted to see initiated: the update of our Department Master Plan and the development of Loveland’s first universal playground/ park. These two projects will see completion soon and will add lasting value to our continued success of serving our community.

Post-retirement, my husband LeRoy, little dachshund Delilah and I will be traveling through all the national parks in our camper, visiting family, taking tons of photos, and enjoying our cabin in the Black Hills of South Dakota.

The strength and resilience of the Loveland team during those hard times was testimony why I place such a high focus on workplace culture.

Technical Tuesdays

CPRA’s Technical Tuesdays emails provide our members with insight on the current technical trends in the Parks & Recreation field and available solutions provided by our Industry Partners.

Participate in our once-a-month Technical Tuesdays survey to provide your feedback on the leading questions on our partners’ minds so you can help bring the industry together. Plus you’ll be entered for a chance to win a $25 Amazon gift card for participating! Technical Tuesday emails and surveys are sent to all active CPRA members. Keep an eye on your inbox and check out the data here to get your gears turning with the latest from the industry!

You can see past Technical Tuesdays and Byline issues at cpra-web.org/publications – member log-in is required.

APRIL 2023 TECHNICAL TUESDAY SURVEY RESULTS

Question 1: CEM Sales & Service is continually striving to improve and would like to know how they can better serve you. What offerings and/or services are of most interest to you?

(Choose all that apply.)

Question 3: What are your initial thoughts on how a flexible, online conservation communication graduate program might support your career goals? (Submitted by CSU)

This is interesting and sounds aligned with my professional goals, I’d like to learn more 15.8%

This is interesting, but I don’t have the bandwidth to take classes right now 42.2%

This does not sound aligned with my goals 31.6%

Other 10.4%

(“I already have a graduate/masters degree”)

Question 4: Out of all the SHOWERS in your facility, how many can be used by guests of any gender*? (Submitted by OLC)

*Note these may be located within changing areas variously identified as: Gender Neutral, All Gender, Unisex, Family Rooms, Assisted Rooms, other, or not assigned.

Question 2: What type of aquatic solution would best serve your community? (Submitted by Vortex)

2023 CPRA Annual Conference September 27-29, 2023

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It’s Show Time

2023 CPRA Parks Workshop & Tradeshow

By Jillian Strogis, Membership & Communications Coordinator, CPRA

The 43rd Annual Parks Spring Workshop & Trade Show took place this past April 6th at the Island Grove Regional Park Event Center. As always, the Event Center was the perfect location to gather Industry Partners, Parks Professionals, and Directors Section members for our second-largest annual event.

Not only is the Annual Parks Spring Workshop a close contender to our Annual Conference in planning and manpower, but this year’s attendance showed recordbreaking numbers that rival previous conference stats.

With over 475 attendees, 32 exhibitors, and 6 sponsors this may have been the largest Parks Show in CPRA history!

Serving 35 dozen donuts and countless gallons of coffee, the Show kicked off with exceptional educational sessions and an exhibit hall that lived up to the expectation of the 43rd rendition of this ever-favorite event.

Continued on page 10…

Photos by Jillian Strogis

The excitement and scale of this year’s event certainly delivered on the promise from 2022 that we would be back bigger and better than ever.

Along with an increase in attendance, we also had an increase in engagement this year. We had more raffle prizes, more energized sponsors, and more varied and enthusiastic professionals. We saw

newer staff, long-time veterans of the field, and many friends and colleagues of our Directors Section wound through the lobby for checkin and arriving throughout the day. Thank you to all of our sponsors, exhibitors, volunteers, event staff, and attendees for consistently raising the bar and making this event such a reliable success!

Thank You Workshop Sponsors & Exhibitors!

Sponsors

Platinum Gold Silver

Exhibitors

• All American Sports Material

• Altitude Recreation

• Aquaphalt

• Bobcat of the Rockies

• Buffalo Brand Seed

• CARRI

• Churchich Recreation, LLC

• DBC Irrigation Supply

• Golf & Sport Solutions

• Granite Seed & Erosion Control

• Mac Equipment, Inc.

• Musco Lighting

• Pioneer Contractor Services

• Power Turf Renovation, LLC

• Precision Concrete Cutting

• Recreation Plus

• Renner Sports Surfaces

• Rocky Mountain Playground Services

• Rocky Mountain Rec, Inc.

• Scienturfic Sod

• Star Playgrounds

• Target Specialty Products

• UniWest Denver, LLC

• Wilbur-Ellis Agribusiness

• Winterland Inc.

Highlight Your Agency!

SHARE YOUR NEWS, PROJECTS, EVENTS & UPDATES IN CPRA’S COLORADO BYLINE

2023 Editorial Themes*

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

CPRA Agency Members:

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.

Have something to share? There are multiple ways you to do so:

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.

3. Send Article Leads/Ideas –

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.

How to submit:

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.

• 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 & Parks

• Technology Now & Into 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

* Editorial content subject to change and will be announced prior to each issue deadline.

Happy Trails

LAKEWOOD MAKES IMPROVEMENTS TO BEAR CREEK LAKE TRAIL

By Jordan Collins, Digital Marketing Specialist, Lakewood Community Resources

After assessing the use of the popular Bear Creek Greenbelt, Lakewood is improving infrastructure and accessibility to one of our most trafficked greenways. A beloved regional connection across Colorado’s fifth largest city, Lakewood’s Bear Creek Greenbelt hosts over 450,000 people each year enjoying nature walking, hiking, biking, fishing, horseback riding and

more. Within this riparian ecosystem is a multipurpose trail that stretches over seven miles from Bear Creek Lake Park to Wadsworth Boulevard. The trail attracts a diverse range of user groups which has led to increasing user conflicts in recent years.

In 2016, the city partnered with Norris Design, Bicycle Colorado and Colorado Parks and Wildlife to complete the City

of Lakewood Trail and Connectivity Assessment Report. This report also surveyed residents and found the popular Bear Creek Trail needed improved access, concrete repair and line of sight improvements. Most importantly, it introduced the idea of a parallel trail that would mitigate congestion and provide an alternative user experience in the greenbelt.

A rchit e ct u ral d o g p a r k product s

A rchit e ct u ral d o g p a r k product s

e ral g r k s

Construction commenced in the spring of 2022 thanks to the city’s TABOR funds, a nearly $2 million Jeffco Open Space Regional Trails Grant and a $750,000 Land and Water Conservation Fund Grant, enabling significant improvements to the trail originally constructed in 1983. The innovative project included the installation of over 12,000 linear feet of 3-6 foot wide soft surface trail that would roughly parallel the concrete path through the greenbelt. In sections of the greenbelt the soft-surface trail meanders into new territory, discovering park spaces and nature experiences thanks to recent city parkland acquisitions.

“Trail users have been very supportive and impressed with the trail improvements, especially the natural surfaced side path.” noted Lakewood Landscape Architect John Paliga. Other improvements to the user experience included widening sections

to 10 and 12 feet, softening trail curves to extend sight lines and replacing damaged concrete along most of the trail. The Bear Creek Trail bridges were replaced to lessen the angle of approach and improve safety and maintenance access. The new Beaver Dam bridge, located between S. Estes and S. Kipling

streets, features mid-span “outlookers” to allow users to get off the trail and enjoy the view or snap those Instagram pics. While many segments of the trail are complete with park users enjoying the revitalized greenbelt, the Bear Creek Trail project is targeted for completion in the spring of 2023.

A Cultural Exp ERIE nce

The Town of Erie has a variety of staff members who are from different countries and cultures. One day, walking toward the front desk at the Erie Community Center I saw three staff members all working together and all from different countries. At that moment, the idea came to me that we needed to showcase the different countries and cultures represented among our staff.

Karina Wlodarczak, Assistant Coordinator – Facility Operations, was the first employee eager to showcase her home culture. Karina is from Poland and had many connections here in Colorado to help make this event spectacular. We began the journey of planning the event together. The goal of the cultural event was to entertain and educate, and to be open to all ages. The event was two hours and included Polish folk dancers,

Krakowiacy, Polish folk singers and musicians, Swojskie Dziołchy, education on Poland which included Polish famous people, fun facts about Poland, history of Bolesławiec ceramics, Polish traditions, and basic Polish words and phrases, presented by Malgorzata Grondalski, St. Joseph Polish School Principal, and sampling Polish cuisine which included Pierogies, Kielbasa and a pastry.

By Cindy Hickman, Active Adults Coordinator, Erie Parks & Recreation Department (article and event photos) and Karina Wlodarczak, Assistant Coordinator - Facility Operations, Erie Parks & Recreation Department (professional photos)

The Polish Folk Dance Krakowiacy group, was founded in October 2002 at the St. Joseph Polish Church in the neighborhood of Globeville in downtown Denver, which 100 years ago was the center of the Polish pioneer community. The group shares the rich heritage of Poland by performing traditional Polish dances. The name Krakowiacy is the polish term for people from Krakow. Polish folk dances are lively and joyful, and usually involve hops and twirls, but vary by region. The group performed dances from ten different regions, and all

of the costumes, shoes and accessories are handmade and shipped directly from Poland.

The Polish folk singers and musicians, Swojskie Dziołchy, was founded in 2014 as a support group to the Krakowiacy. The main goal of Dziołchy is to help with dance performances and make the time between dances and costume changes more pleasant for the audience. Over the nine years, the group has grown and cooperates with local musicians and can be heard at various Polish community events.

The event was truly spectacular. Here is one comment from someone that attended the event; “Last Saturday’s Polish cultural event was outstanding, a real home run!! Dancers, singers, sample food, Polish history/culture/traditions education, Q&A, etc. Really, a super night! As always, thank you, Tom”. The audience ranged in age from 2-85, with over 100 people being entertained and learning about Karina’s home. We are looking forward to our next Cultural ExpERIEnce.

Colorado Parks & Recreation Industry Trends

TREND CATEGORIES

Playground Mulch: A Matter of Safety

By Mike Uittenbogaard, Ground Solutions

An outdoor area designed to attract children is an amenity that also encourages them to be active. If your property is a playground, then you need to be concerned with safety and have a plan for the use, enjoyment, and maintenance of the playground. It is important for kids to be active and have fun, but it is very important for them to be safe.

Playground Injuries: The Facts

The researchers at the United States Consumer Product Safety Commission track information on playground safety and injuries. They have found:

• Each year, more than 200,000 kids go to the emergency room for playground injuries.

• Most injuries occur when a child falls off the playground equipment onto the ground.

• Dirt and grass surfaces do not provide enough protection for children falling off playground equipment.

These facts show the importance of your playground surface. A substandard surface is dangerous for the children who use your equipment.

Wood Mulch Makes a Difference

The decision to install a playground surface that is right for your children’s safety make a lot of sense. The Consumer Product Safety Commission recommends at least twelve inches of certified wood playground mulch underneath playground equipment. This helps protect children from injury when they fall.

Your mulch needs to be deep enough, but it also needs to extend far enough. Make sure your play equipment is surrounded by six feet of mulch on all sides. Pay special attention to the areas around

swings and underneath slides. If you’re concerned about safety, you can’t skimp on mulch in these areas.

Blown Mulch Makes It Easy

If you need to add mulch to your playground, our nationwide mulch provider network make it easy to get mulch installed or delivered to your playground. Typically we recommend playground mulch be installed with a mulch blowing professional. Here’s why blown mulch is the best solution for playgrounds:

Fast: Blowing mulch is so much faster than manual methods. Our crews can spread more than 50 yards of mulch in two hours. This means you don’t need to try to keep eager playground users out of the area for days. After just a few hours of work, your playground will be safe for everyone and ready to use.

Neat: Blown mulch is much neater than hauling it by hand. You won’t have to worry about a pile of unsightly mulch on your property, and you won’t have a crew tracking it through the rest of your landscaping. Instead, our trucks install mulch exactly where you need it. The trucks don’t need to go on your lawn or playground. The blower truck parks safely at a distance, and our crews use long hoses to bring the mulch to your playground. The end result looks great with no mess.

Easy: If your playground is fenced or features extensive climbing structures, manual mulch installers might have trouble. They might ask you to remove fencing or dismantle equipment so they can get the mulch into your site. Blown mulch can go anywhere with ease. Our crews use flexible tubing that can go over fences and around equipment. There’s no need to remove your playground features.

Each year, more than 200,000 kids go to the emergency room for playground injuries.

ALWAYS REMEMBER: Safety First!

By: Katie Groke, MPA, CPRP, Director of Community Services, Apex Park and Recreation District

As the weather warms up and springtime blossoms, many are eager to spend more time outside recreating, enjoying the benefits of parks and recreational areas. However, it’s important to remember that safety must always be a top priority in these spaces. As we all know, parks and recreation are essential to our communities, providing spaces for physical activity, social interaction, and resetting mental health. But as much as we love these places, we can never forget to prioritize our teams’ and communities’ health and safety.

That’s why we must take safety in the parks and recreation field seriously and prioritize training, safety checks, and education. This means being aware of our surroundings, following posted rules and regulations, and taking necessary precautions to avoid accidents.

Supporting and advocating for policies and practices prioritizing safety in these spaces is essential. This includes providing adequate funding and resources for facility and park maintenance and upkeep, enforcing rules and regulations, and investing in education and training programs for staff.

Ultimately, the benefits of parks and recreational areas far outweigh the risks, but we must always be mindful of the potential dangers and take steps to mitigate them. By working together to prioritize safety in the parks and recreation field, we can ensure that these valuable spaces remain accessible, enjoyable, and most importantly, safe for everyone.

So, let’s enjoy the beauty and benefits of our parks and recreational areas, but let’s do so with safety at the forefront of our minds. Happy springtime and stay safe!

Ultimately, the benefits of parks and recreational areas far outweigh the risks, but we must always be mindful of the potential dangers and take steps to mitigate them.

National Demonstration Sites

By Michael Radoff, Altitude Recreation

National Demonstrations

Sites are gaining traction in the parks and recreation industry. They exemplify evidencebased best practices in design and implementation, support health-related initiatives, and provide meaningful ways for community stakeholders to gather data about the sites’ impact on the community. Five NDS programs help communities turn research into practice: 7 Principles of Inclusive Playground Design, Play On! Promoting Physical Activity, Outdoor Adult Fitness Parks, Naturegrounds, and Pathways for Play. PlayCore’s CORE Data Service Lab reviews and translates the feedback gathered at National Demonstration Sites

and generates comprehensive reporting for community leaders that provides qualitative and quantitative data on impact, usage, activity level, community value, and more. Through this data collection, National Demonstration Sites:

• Encourage Repeat Visitations: 97% of site visitors say they will return again in the near future.

• Demonstrate Health & Wellness: 99% of site visitors were active during their visit at the site.

• Promote Recommended Physical Activity: 96% of site visitors are active at the site for 30 minutes or longer..

• Claim Visitor Satisfaction: 98% of site visitors are satisfied with their visit. Learn more at altituderec.com/services/ programs-research

Step Up a Grade From

Toro, the Leader in Infield Maintenance

By L.L. Johnson Staff

L.L. Johnson’s product lines cater to every aspect of turf care and maintenance. The professionalism and dedication of our sales personnel, customer service representatives and technicians give added value to the brands and services we provide. Most of all, park and recreation departments need equipment they can rely on for many years. Here are two pieces of equipment Colorado agencies can rely on.

Field Pro 6040 Infield Groomer

Create ballfields that fans and players love with the Toro Field Pro 6040. This workhorse features efficient operation with the innovative MultiToolTM, ergonomic operator comfort, and incredible versatility in attachment options. The dedicated platform produces a consistent, superior infield playing surface regardless of starting conditions. Precision engineering means

precise results. With the Field Pro 6040, it’s game on.

Features:

Consistent Results – The rugged chassis, commercial-grade components, and wide range of attachments produce major league playing surfaces for your home field.

More Efficient – Four tools can be carried at once, dramatically reducing

time spent preparing infields while allowing the operator to scarify, grade and drag smooth in a single pass.

Increased Versatility – Dozens of Toro Sand Pro®, BullseyeTM and third-party attachments easily make the Field Pro 6040 the go-to, start-to-finish ball field maintenance machine.

Attachment options include: laser level system, drag mats, grooming brooms, tooth rakes and much more.

Field Pro 6040 Infield Groomer

Toro Z Master 7500-D Series 144-Inch Mower

Step up your productivity with the Toro Z Master® 7500-D. The new 144-inch deck folds up neatly to only 83” for fast and easy transport up to 17 MPH, then folds down to handle your biggest jobs in less time than comparable mowers. Powerful engines deliver all the speed and maneuverability of a zero-turn, along with the superior cut quality you expect from Toro.

Features:

Contour-following Wing Decks - Wing decks on the 96” model flex up 20o and down 15o to follow the terrain, hugging the ground for the smoothest possible cut. Folds to 72.5” to fit in trailer.

The New Standard in Comfort - The floor pan and deluxe suspension seat are isomounted to reduce vibration. That results in a better operator experience and more productivity.

Extended Service Intervals

- Save on maintenance with extended service intervals and a deck design that uses up to four matching blades. The mower is also backed by a 5-year, 1,500-hour limited warranty (first two years nohour-limit).

Superior Performance -

Whether you choose a Yanmar diesel engine or a Kohler 38 HP EFI gas engine, your mower is packed with power to tackle the toughest mowing jobs.

Manage Your Pet Waste Products Reduce Irrigation Costs, Promote Healthy Turf

By The Pet Waste Station / Gyms for Dogs

The Pet Waste Station, a pet waste management products company, offers The Paw Station™, an ‘all-in-one’ decorative and durable free-standing pet waste station system with an optional toy box or Pooper Scooper storage box with tools and / or The Wellness Depot™

The Paw Station is designed for indoor or outdoor usage and has storage for cell phones, leash’s, keys, suntan lotion, first aid items or dog toys & treats. These are great for public parks, public greenways and other high-use areas where people are with their pets. Made in the USA and made to your specific color selections.

Learn more at thepetwastestation.com.

By Frank Klopping, PowerTurf Renovation

The 60” Sports Turf Renovator tractor is a PTO-powered turf renovation machine that has many uses. In just one pass it will remove the problematic infield lip on a baseball diamond, as well as dethatch, aerate, verticut and level turf.

This machine will significantly reduce irrigation costs while promoting healthy turf. It has been widely used by governmental agencies, cities, school districts, colleges, professional sports teams and golf courses. The depth of the cut is infinitely adjustable with the use of a ratchet jack from 0-2”. The lips on an entire baseball field can be removed easily without removing the existing turf. This machine will turn rock hard infield red dirt into soft usable media without disrupting the base.

See videos of the 60” Sports Turf Renovator tractor in action at www.powerturfrenovation.com.

Toro 7500-D Series 144-Inch Mower

Boost Your Fleet with the Toolcat™ Utility Work Machine

By Lisa Krien, Bobcat of The Rockies

At Bobcat of the Rockies, we take pride in knowing we provide excellent customer service to anyone who walks through our doors. We are proud to be a reliable dealership with nine successful locations in both Colorado and Wyoming, working diligently to ensure our service is unmatched. Our desire is to leave customers satisfied and excited to do business with us in the future. This dedication to our customer experience is why we focus so heavily on perfecting our service department. We provide fast service for your new or used compact equipment and we work hard to keep turnaround times as low as possible, averaging about a week or two. Meanwhile, other dealerships will have you waiting between 3 and 4 months, potentially crippling your fleet. We have eight dealer locations throughout Colorado and Wyoming that service Bobcat skid-steers, compact excavators, Telehandlers, snow removal equipment, attachments and utility vehicles. We can get your construction machine in one of our service centers or we can dispatch a service truck and get you back to work at a job site FAST!

We have found that parks have very specific equipment needs that we

have put tremendous effort into meeting. With Bobcat of the Rockies, you can boost your parks fleet with the Toolcat™ Utility Work Machine. This master of versatility is several machines combined into one. Lift impressive loads, get more payload than a half-ton pickup truck, tow with added maneuverability, operate frontmounted attachments, and even use rear-mounted implements on the UW53. Perform a range of chores and tasks that cannot be matched by any other compact equipment. And, for those who already own a Bobcat Skid-Steer Loader, you’re in luck! All Skid-Steer attachments are compatible with the Toolcat™ as well. That’s 45 plus attachments with the BobTach™ system! This do-it-all machine is perfect for your parks fleet thanks to new enhancements inside and out. These include an improved operator experience, standard backup camera, an updated 5-inch panel, LED external lighting, comfortable cab, and easier access of troubleshooting codes.

The Toolcat™ is also the perfect tool for all seasons, with turf-friendly all-

wheel steering and attachments for all seasonal needs including snow removal. Toolcat™ utility work machines are powerful snow-removal tools that can use a large family of snow-removal attachments. A tight turning radius gives you maneuverability for clearing sidewalks, driveways or in between buildings. With the now standard HVAC system, you can stay comfortable through long hot days or frigid cold nights on the job. The system forces air distribution where it’s needed most with the help of newly positioned 360-degree adjustable vents. There is no off-season for this hardworking machine. The Toolcat™ will quickly become your most versatile worker.