13 minute read
RECREATION HEROES
PRESENTED BY
Introduction by Allison Kincaid, Executive Director, Colorado Parks & Recreation Association
In the Spring issue of Byline we highlighted many of the incredibly hard-working parks professionals that stepped up over the last year, and always, to keep Colorado’s outdoor spaces clean and accessible for all. Now we are excited to recognize even more CPRA members as we highlight Colorado’s Recreation Heroes. These inspiring individuals and teams rose to the occasion over the last year and demonstrated a strong commitment to their communities and motivated all of us to be a part of pandemic solutions through their resilience and innovation. We hope that as you read these highlights, you know that CPRA and your Parks & Recreation community recognize and appreciate the work that all of you have done over the last year. It is an honor and a blessing to work with all of you!
“A hero is an ordinary individual who finds the strength to persevere and endure in spite of overwhelming obstacles.” CHRISTOPHER REEVE
RECREATION HeroES: THE CITY OF BOULDER’S AQUATICS TEAM OPEN SPRUCE AND SCOTT CARPENTER TEAMS TEAM
Submitted by Charlotte O’Donnell, Administrative Specialist, City of Boulder, Parks and Recreation
The day after the state published COVID-19 regulations allowing use of outdoor pools, our incredible aquatics and recreation teams opened Spruce Pool to the community. The careful planning and maintenance of the pool in May made this quick turnaround possible. Grateful swimmers registered online, lined up in their masks outside and finally got to take to the water! Later in the summer, our incredible team opened the brand-new facility at Scott Carpenter to even more lap swimmers and set up “pods” for households of leisure swimmers to reserve as well. One community member let us know how much their efforts were appreciated, “Thank you to the staff at Boulder Parks & Recreation for continuing to allow us the opportunity to swim. Swimming is what fuels my life force, even in the best of times. Keep up the excellent work!”.
Spruce Pool clean-up in progress
Submitted by Tim Moore, City of Commerce City
The Commerce City Parks and Recreation Department would like to give a shout out to three HEROES in our Athletics Department - Miguel Chavez, Misty Gowdy, and Nic Jones. These three dedicated HEROES and LEADERS in our community keep Athletics alive and strong for our community members. From the pandemic to 100% all in, all of them work endless hours to oversee their programs and special events. All three of our great team members strive to make their programs fun for our participants. Their efforts truly make our community a better place. Misty Gowdy oversees our Youth Dance and Gymnastics programs. She operates dance programs out of two recreation centers and oversees a large gymnastics program, along with the new 10,000 sq. ft. gymnastics facility at Bison Ridge Recreation Center. Misty has been with the Parks, Recreation and Golf for over 22 years, and brings great knowledge and experience to our gymnastics program. Nic Jones oversees programs and special events in Youth Sports. In addition, Nic has strengthened our partnerships with two local school districts. He has been with the Parks, Recreation and Golf for more than four years and is a great role model for the youth of our community. Miguel Chavez oversees the Adult Sport Programs, Field Rentals and Batting Cages. He skillfully handles several rentals and tournaments taking place at fields across the city. Miguel has been with Parks, Recreation and Golf for 2 years, and is a solid team player, helping ALL as needed.
Miguel Chavez Misty Gowdy Nic Jones
When we were limited in what we could do, our team banded together creating a variety of options for all skill levels for our patrons. They went above and beyond checking in on members, keeping them on track with their Fitness goals and adapting to the ever-changing conditions.
Submitted by Justin Layden, Recreation Supervisor - Fitness/Wellness, City of Commerce City
Our Fitness staff, Laurie Hartley, Katie Komloske, Heather Pevan, and Adrianne Roberts, did a lot of work over the past year keeping our fitness community together and are true recreation heroes. When we were limited in what we could do, our team banded together creating a variety of options for all skill levels for our patrons. They went above and beyond checking in Laurie Hartley Katie Komloske Heather Pevan Adrianne Roberts on members, keeping them on track with their Fitness goals and adapting to the ever-changing conditions. Without them we would have been able to continue offering programing to our community. They are perfect examples of recreation hero’s taking initiative in providing our community with the classes they know and love at a safe distance.
Submitted by Ellen O’Connor, Executive Director, Evergreen Park & Recreation District
In March of 2020, like our Park & Rec friends and neighbors, a pandemic came in and literally spun our district into a declared local disaster. One day we were open to our patrons and the next day we had to close – creating a silence and grave concern. Our district could have folded up; however, this group of Evergreen Park & Recreation District (EPRD) heroes took the initiative to start focusing on what we could do! They found ways to keep our expenses down by being creative, and came together to focus on reopening our recreation centers in a way people would feel secure and safe. Michael Carpenter, Bob Kellogg, and Jared Lilyhorn took the opportunity to refurbish items such as the pool play equipment and slide. Jarred and Michael put their rockclimbing skills to use by setting up rope systems and using harnesses in order to change over 1000 bolts in the two-story pool slide. And boy did they clean! Our facilities were spotless when patrons came back and there was a fresh coat of paint in just about every area of the facilities. Staff rearranged equipment to meet social distancing guidelines and researched special equipment for disinfecting, like our “ghostbuster machine”, and keeping our air clean with new UV filters. Jarred served as EPRD’s front desk facility specialist and with his diverse skills and talents transferred to outdoor recreation specialist to assist with inspecting watercrafts for boating at Evergreen Lake. Our rec heroes had to implement new procedures for SUP rentals so the boards could be sanitized between each use. Jarred, along with others such as Bob Schmitz and Krista Emrich did many shifts at Evergreen Lake House to keep recreation open to the public. Smaller weddings and parties still took place thanks to Krista and Klaus Armbruster sanitizing and getting creative to meet social distancing guidelines. Due to capacity limitations for ice skating at Evergreen Lake, one of the ponds near Buchanan Park Rec Center was turned into several individualsized ice rinks. This required facility staff whom had not managed skating before, to learn skating operations and safety in order to provide a fun activity. Job descriptions were thrown out the window as everyone took on different responsibilities to keep things going! Despite the ever-changing public health orders, Kendra Head and staff educated the public, sanitized, and managed capacity limits with minimal bumps along the way. The need to workout both for physical and mental benefits was very evident and our recreation heroes made sure the community could manage their well-being. Like many other park and rec agencies, our staff was reduced significantly during COVID, so these individuals had to work extra, long hours to keep things running smoothly for the district. Many thanks go to our recreation heroes that were essential, flexible, patient, and stepped up during this health crisis and uncertain times. Some of them worked behind the scenes and others were front and center, but they were and will continue to be appreciated for all that they do for EPRD!
Submitted by Aaron Harris, Interim Recreation Director, City of Fort Collins
The City of Fort Collins Recreation staff deserves recognition because of the impact the staff made on the Fort Collins community during the COVID-19 Pandemic. The team quickly shifted from normal program and operation roles into a state of community recovery. When the Pandemic started in March 2020 a spring storm forced the team to quickly convert one community center into a site for non-congregate housing for people experiencing homelessness. This operation was in place through July 2020. The shelter helped this vulnerable population maintain a safe distance while providing a safe place to stay. A group of staff worked with a group of volunteers to create masks and facial coverings that provided support for essential workers in April and May 2020 when masks were hard to come by. One part of the success story for this staff is the volunteers sewed head coverings for all the ICU staff that didn’t have access to head coverings. A group of Senior Center staff created a call a senior program to check in with patrons of the facilities and ensure the needs of the patrons needs were met. Lastly, as vaccines began to be distributed the Recreation facilities became hubs for vaccine clinics. Three times per week from March to May 2021 Recreation facilities distributed vaccines with the help of Larimer County, the Fire Department, and Salud. Two thirds of all vaccines were targeted towards low income, ethnic minorities, or other traditionally marginalized populations.
CPRA AGENCIES: SUBMIT YOUR NOMINATIONS FOR PROGRAMMING HEROES!
The Fall 2021 issue of CPRA Byline will feature Programming Heroes. This category includes programmers, therapeutic recreation, and event coordinators.
Deadline for submissions is Friday, September 17, 2021.
CPRA agency directors can submit up to two nominations in each category online at www.surveymonkey.com/r/CPRAHeroes (scan the QR code at right to go directly there). After submitting, please send up to three high resolution photos per nomination to Todd Pernsteiner at todd@pernsteiner.com. Please label your submission for “Programming Heroes.”
CPRA Industry Partners: Fall “Programming Heroes” section sponsorship packages available. Contact Todd Pernsteiner at todd@pernsteiner.com or (952) 841-1111 for details.
SCAN TO SUBMIT NOMINATIONS
Recreation Heroes: CITY OF GRAND JUNCTION: ROB DAVIS, CODY WRIGHT, MARC MANCUSO
Submitted by Randy Coleman, Parks Superintendent, City of Grand Junction
Located at the foot of the Colorado National Monument, Kindred Reserve offers a unique experience to walkers, hikers and wildlife watchers. The property is rich with wildlife, dense vegetation, and an ecosystem that is unique in Grand Junction’s desert landscape. This 37-acre property, adjacent to Tiara Rado golf course, was slated for development, converting its heavy growth of Russian Olive trees into an additional 9 holes. A series of events changed the future of the property and led City Forester and Open Space Supervisor, Rob Davis, to look closer. Army crawling through the property, he came to my office scratched up and energized about the opportunities it could offer to the City’s Park system. Grand Junction’s park visitation had increased 105% due to COVID and members of our community were searching for more outdoor recreation. The Kindred Reserve is 1.75 miles of trails carved into trees, offering views of the Monument, the Grand Valley, small meadows, and ponds. The narrow soft surface trails are meant for an intimate experience with nature, viewing deer, a diverse blend of birds and other small animals. This project was almost entirely completed inhouse. Cody Wright, an Arborist with the City, constructed the parking lot, paths, and repurposed urban wood from our Forestry Operations to construct bridges and signage. Marc Mancuso designed signage and a unique fence for the property, which will be incorporated into our future Open Space developments. Rob’s proposal is the first Open Space project initiated by the City and serves as a flagship of our Open Space program.
Recreation Heroes: WHEAT RIDGE RECREATION CENTER FRONT DESK TEAM
Submitted by Susan Anderson, Recreation Manager, City of Wheat Ridge
The front desk team at the Wheat Ridge Recreation Center has worked tirelessly throughout the pandemic, providing excellent guest services to our patrons. The ever-changing COVID-19 guidelines and regulations have made customer service exceedingly difficult over the last year. Our Facility Coordinators, Assistants and Guest Service Attendants have continued to meet our department’s expectations of CARE: Consistency, Attitude, Respect & Engage. Through plexiglass and protective gear, they have made our patrons feel welcome and safe. Reservation requirements created an increased workload and amplified customer complaints. We could not have survived the negative impacts of COVID without this group of incredible people, and we genuinely appreciate each and every one of them. The Wheat Ridge Parks and Recreation Department would like to honor this team as our Recreation Heroes and extend our tremendous gratitude.
Recreation Hero: JILL BAYLIS, LAKEWOOD COMMUNITY RESOURCES CREATIVE SERVICES TEAM
Submitted by Amber Thill, AICP, Public Engagement & Operations Manager, Community Resources Department, City of Lakewood
Jill Baylis, with the Lakewood Community Resources Creative Services team, worked diligently to think outside the box and take unique approaches to our e-newsletters and webpages to ensure we retained our customer base during the pandemic and were able to share important information as a result of rapidly changing public health orders. The Digital Marketing Specialist, Jill’s role grew exponentially in a short period of time. She was the voice of the department, educating, encouraging and thinking outside of the box to support our staff in moving our programs and services to the virtual world. Jill was essential in communicating our newly virtual publications, revamping our registration page (Lakewood.org/Register), researching and purchasing equipment for virtual needs, and most importantly, living Lakewood’s motto “We are all in this Together,” by supporting all divisions of our department. Thank you, Jill!
THE MATERIAL PLACEMENT GUYS
SPECIALIZING IN PRECISE MATERIAL DELIVERY & PLACEMENT
groundsolutionsco.com
• Mulch/Cedar Installation • Soil/Compost Installation • Engineered Wood Fiber • Playground Surfacing Refresh
CONTACT MIKE FOR A QUOTE:
970-744-0782 mike@groundsolutionsco.com
• Rock Slinging • Topsoil/Compost Placement • Median Material Placement • Damp & Perimeter Drain
