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KANSAS RECREATION & PARK ASSOCIATION
KRPA
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KRPA
KANSAS RECREATION & PARK ASSOCIATION
Our Mission To advance park and recreation opportunities that enhance the quality of life through education, communication and advocacy.
Our Vision The Kansas Recreation and Park Association is THE SOURCE for information which advances parks and recreation in the State of Kansas and beyond. An affiliate of the National Recreation and Park Association Kansas Recreation and Park Association 700 SW Jackson St. Suite 805, Topeka, Kansas 66603 www.krpa.org 785-235-6533
KRPA Board of Directors President – Brian Bascue (Newton) Past President – Jimmy Gibbs (Lawrence) President Elect – Kelby Hellwig (Johnson County) Secretary/Treasurer – Logan Wagler (Lenexa) Administration Branch – Chris Claxton (Leawood) Aquatics Branch – Jennifer Wegener (Shawnee County) Marketing/Customer Service Branch- Nicole Asquith (Olathe) Therapeutic Rec/Aging – Rhonda Pollard (Johnson County) Park and Natural Resources – Ramie Degraeve (Shawnee) Park Law Enforcement Branch – Kim Jones (KDWPT) Recreation Branch – Andrea Kelly (Chanute) Sports Branch – Nick Leon (Hutchinson)
Members At Large West – Dan Pyle (Ellis) Central - Tony Finlay (Hutchinson) East - Dave Smothers (Merriam)
Contents Letter from the President...............................................................4 Member Spotlight............................................................................5 Around Kansas............................................................................ 6-7 Members on the Move................................................................. 8-9 Community Q&A..........................................................................11 Why Not a Water Park?............................................................12-14 Summer of Festivals.................................................................16-21
Advertisers Bagspot........................................................................... Back Cover D. Gerber Commercial Pool Products and Service....................4 John Deere.......................................................................................15 M&M Golf Carts..............................................................................4 Most Dependable Fountains.......................... Inside Front Cover Pilot Rock / R.J. Thomas.................................................................9 Please support our advertisers, they make this publication possible. For information on advertising, contact Todd Pernsteiner at (952) 841-1111 or info@pernsteiner.com. ON THE COVER: Lenexa Spinach Festival For more than 30 years, the Lenexa community has come together on the first Saturday after Labor Day to celebrate the green leafy veggie that brought fame to the city in the early 1930s.
Committees/Ex Officio Awards – Caite Kendrick (Ft. Riley) Conference Planning - Brian Bascue (Newton) Citizen Board – Kim Galbraith (Blue Valley) Colleges and Universities – Janice Jewett (Pittsburg) Professional Development – Steve Herrig (Blue Valley) Public Policy – Scott Schoon (Winfield) / Nancy Wallerstein (Johnson County) Parliamentarian – Steve Friend (Baldwin City) KDWPT – Linda Lanterman (Pratt) KRPA Executive Director – Erika Devore
Editorial Staff Managing Editor – Erika Devore Contributing Staff – Bonnie Simon This magazine is the official quarterly publication of the Kansas Recreation and Park Association and is provided complimentary as part of membership in KRPA. The editorial committee encourages the submission of articles and photos for publication. Articles of approximately 1,000 words or less may be submitted, but may be edited for length and clarity.
2016 KRPA Events AUGUST 2016 24-25 Executive Forum, Leawood 26 Golf Tournament, Lawrence SEPTEMBER 2016 13-15 KRPA Tomorrow’s Leaders Institute, Linwood OCTOBER 2016 1 KRPA Conference Scholarship Deadline 5-8 NRPA Annual Conference, St. Louis, MO JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2017 31-2 KRPA Annual Conference, Manhattan Contact Bonnie Simon at bonnie@krpa.org for registration details.
Deadlines for articles, photos and advertising: Fall: September 29, 2016 Spring: April 6, 2017
Winter: December 12, 2016 Summer: June 30, 2017
KRPA reserves the right to approve all advertising in Kansas Recreation and Park Association. All requests for advertising should be made to Todd Pernsteiner, Account Manager, at 952-841-1111 or info@pernsteiner.com.
Support Scholarships When you shop at smile.amazon.com, Amazon will donate a portion of proceeds to KRPA scholarships.
KRPA Today - www.krpa.org • 3
Letter from the PRESIDENT By Brian Bascue, KRPA President
I’m sure that everyone is winding down from their crazy, hectic summer seasons. We hope that your agencies had a successful summer as you provided great quality-of-life programs and opportunities for your communities. One big part of these community programs are special events. From city festivals to concerts to races and everything in between, recreation and park professionals are the experts at bringing the community together throughout the course of the year. You’ll find what some of our fellow professionals are doing in their communities through special events – as well as tips, the successes, the failures, and the funny stories that come out of hosting such large-scale events. These stories are included in this season’s magazine. As we move into the fall season, I would like to encourage the membership to consider becoming involved in the KRPA Board. KRPA Executive Director Erika Devore will be sending
out information over the course of the next month in seeking nominations for various seats on the board. Voting will take place in September. Our board will be spending the remainder of the year working and fulfilling the goals that we set in May. These goals include: 1. Solidify current membership, measured by increased participation with quality targeted programs. We would like to increase our membership’s knowledge of what exactly it means to be a member of KRPA, as well as increase opportunities for networking, participation of mid-career professionals, and increase resources available to the membership. 2. Provide valued educational opportunities for parks and recreation professionals. This includes the creation and promotion of regional education programs based on leading edge ideas and continue creating a valued state conference that members make a priority in attending. 3. Cultivate program and funding partners that increase our financial resources and in-kind support for events.
Again, now is the time to seriously consider giving your time, talents, and energy to the KRPA Board. If you would like more information or have questions on board involvement, feel free to contact Erika or me.
LI T Y A U
Have a great rest of your summer – and bring on the cooler, fall temperatures!
CO
UNTS
WH E N Q
4. Increase our advocacy efforts by raising the profile of the park and recreation profession across the state.
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4 • KRPA Today - www.krpa.org
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Member Spotlight
Kathleen Avitt Director of Programs Derby Recreation Commission
YEARS IN KPRA: 10 years in KRPA and 19 years in Parks and Recreation. FUN FACT ABOUT YOUR DEPARTMENT: In our remodel of the Derby Recreation Center we added a fountain to the front landscape to give some additional curb appeal. Some citizens were upset with this UNTIL we started changing the fountain color during special occasions like the Royals being in the World Series and our own high school football team being in the playoffs. Now it’s the talk of the town! FIRST JOB: My first job at 14 was a bus girl at Pirate’s Cove Restaurant on Roanoke Island. This was pretty typical of every kid that lives on the Outer Banks of N.C. All local kids start young and work the restaurants.
BEST THING ABOUT YOUR CAREER: The ability to directly affect people’s quality of life. We only have one life to live. Make it a good one.
IF YOU COULD WORK IN ANY OF YOUR DEPARTMENTS FOR FUN FOR A WEEK, WHICH DEPARTMENT AND WHY? It’s all FUN if you make it that way! But for me it’s a tie between special events and sports. I like the action.
TOUGHEST PART OF JOB: Leading staff to remember that one comment isn’t necessarily the breaking point to change something. Weighing out all the options and opinions will serve better. Be educated on what and why you need to change and what that change will do.
FAVORITE SPORT TO PLAY OR WATCH: Actually for me it’s a tie between three which would be softball, volleyball and tennis but to watch on television it would be college basketball. WHEN I WAS GROWING UP, I WANTED TO: I actually first thought I wanted to work for the federal government but in my junior year of college I changed my mind because Parks and Recreation has always had such a strong hold on my life. Best decision EVER.
IF YOU HAD A WARNING LABEL, WHAT WOULD YOURS SAY? I was given this warning label a long time ago and it says, “Energizer bunny with added hot sauce!” IF KRPA WERE TO REFER A MEMBER TO YOU FOR ADVICE, WHAT WOULD YOU SAY YOUR SPECIALTY IS? Honesty. I’ll always give you the honest opinion regardless of the topic. You can trust there isn’t a motive. It’s always been my best practice and I’m sticking to it.
SAVE THE DATE! 2017 KRPA Conference and Trade Show is January 31- February 2, 2017 in Manhattan, KS. We are already planning great speakers, fun socials and so much more. Can’t wait to see you in the Little Apple! Registration opens in October.
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Around KANSAS There’s a New Golf Course in Town On July 2, the Valley Center Recreation Commission held a day of events to celebrate the opening of its new nine-hole executive golf course and driving range located at 820 N. Emporia in Valley Center. Although the late afternoon rounds were interrupted by heavy rainfall, the opening ceremonies had a good turnout. Around 50 people attended the initial celebration and showed support for the community’s newest attraction. The director of the recreation commission, Steve Geddes, was overcome with emotion at the ceremony. Geddes was grateful to those involved with the project, as well as the members of the community who showed their support. “This was a major, major team effort,” said Geddes. “This golf course is 10 months old — and that’s it. I think the way it looks right now is excellent and it’s going to look even better. I’m really happy for the community around here. I think Valley Center, Park City, Kechi, north Wichita, Sedgwick and all these people around here are really going to enjoy this.” The golf course architect responsible for the design of the course was Taylor Zimbelman. He is a Wichita native who has spent the last 16 years designing about 75 courses in 20 different countries. He has worked on courses of all types, from high-end country clubs to smaller, daily fee courses. “What really got me excited about this is that I really believe this type of facility is in demand,” said Zimbelman. “We’re losing golfers because they don’t want to spend so much time at a big, 18-hole course; so this really fills a need. I believe they’re kind of on the pioneer end of this. These types of facilities are going to jump up everywhere, not just rural areas. Big cities are also going to get these because people don’t want to spend five hours or more playing.” Zimbelman believes accessibility is important from a standpoint of time, but he also designed the course with accessibility to all skill levels and age groups in mind. Though the course is nine total holes, there is a three-hole special available for those hoping to play an even quicker round. A unique feature of this course is that it uses fairly newly developed artificial greens, which will keep watering and maintenance costs at a minimum while keeping the course looking good. The developer of these greens is Lance Pierce of Versa Sport, who used his engineering background to develop the technology. The greens consist of about five layers of various materials underneath with a specific type of finely braided yarn on the top level which is cut to allow the material to sprout and imitate natural grass as closely as possible. Pierce says that without his technology, the course may not have been possible. “The whole idea of artificial greens has been around for a long time,” said Pierce. “It’s just that the right product hasn’t been 6 • KRPA Today - www.krpa.org
available for people to get the right impression of how they can play. That’s what our product is all about — creating a realistic simulation to a natural grass green. Natural greens are great in areas where you have a pool of resources to draw upon, but if you don’t, this is a great alternative. Their access to water here was a big concern because of the limitations on water well permits. They wouldn’t have had enough water for natural grass so this material created an opportunity for this course to happen.” Community members who played the course on opening day seemed to enjoy their experience and gave almost entirely positive feedback. One golfer who completed a nine-hole round before the rain hit on opening day was Brian Phipps. “I was really impressed,” said Phipps. “It’s the first time I’ve ever seen the artificial greens and I thought the design from tee to green — the whole layout — was impressive. They’ve got four different sets of tees, which makes it easy for the beginners, but it is definitely challenging enough if you want it to be. They obviously put a lot of time and effort into it and I think it paid off.” Valley Point Golf Course is open daily from 6:30 a.m. until 8:30 p.m. and tee times run from 6:45 a.m. to 7:15 p.m. The course offers push cart and golf trike cruiser rentals. There are also punch passes available for frequent golfers that can be purchased at the clubhouse or the recreation commission. You can reach Valley Point Golf Course at 316-337-5402.
Dive In Movies Make a Big Splash The Derby Recreation Commission’s “Cinema at Sundown – Dive In Movies,” made a huge splash this summer! Dive in Movie nights were held at Rock River Rapids waterpark in Derby and featured blockbuster movies shown on a big screen as patrons floated in the pool. Dive In Movies were part of the DRC’s “Larger Than Life Summer” theme for programming. “Grease,” was held on June 16 and the DRC celebrated Shark Week when “Jaws” was shown on July 8. Concessions and photo booths reflected the themes of the movie and the events quickly sold out with attendance to both events at approximately 600. The Derby Recreation Commission plans on continuing with a children’s themed movie this winter and more Dive In Movies next summer.
Around KANSAS Gardner, Wichita host July 4th festivities In recent years Gardner Parks and Recreation has desired to develop its July 4th Celebration into more of a festival type atmosphere. The 2016 show was exactly what the department and the community was hoping for. A crowd of 12,000 people came out to Celebration Park to celebrate Independence Day in Gardner. 12 food vendors, 4 bounce house/slides, face painters, an inflatable Hungry Humans game, a portable zip line, balloon artists and
Gardner 4th of July celebration
Arkalon Assault 5K and Obstacle Race The Arkalon Assault 5K Obstacle Race and 1 Mile Run took place on Saturday, June 11, 2016. This event was put in place by the Liberal Recreation Department alongside a committee of ten members that volunteered their time and ideas for the event. The Recreation Department and committee began meeting to plan this year event starting in October of 2015 until race day. Funding for the event came from registration fees, sponsors, and donations. The Arkalon Assault received $4000.00 from the Liberal Convention and Visitor’s Bureau. In addition, a $5200.00 donation was received from an anonymous local foundation. Furthermore, over 24 local businesses sponsored the event, as well as donated materials that were necessary for the run. The number of participants for the event was 172 participants, which exceeded predictions. Runners came from all over the Southwest Kansas area, as well as the Northwest Oklahoma area. In preparation for the event Jim Betts, Scott Betts, Mike Rice and Justin Alexander volunteer their time to build the new obstacles. The county fire department came out and fill the pits full of water. County EMS provided a secondary medical trail vehicle and an ambulance in case of emergencies. The city fire department contributed their decontamination tent for runners to wash off after the race was completed.
interactive entertainment kept both kids and adults busy during the event. In addition, four bands provided music beginning at 3:00, leading up to the headliner, country music star Chase Bryant. After Chase entertained the crowd, one of the region’s best firework shows wowed the community on a perfect July 4th evening. Wichita Parks Foundation in partnership with the City of Wichita hosted the 2nd Annual Red, White, and Boom event on Witchita 4th of July celebration July 4th. Freddy’s Frozen Custard & Steakburgers was the Presenting Sponsor for the second year and has committed to three additional years in sponsoring this free event. The event was emceed and advertised by KSN and BOB-FM. From 5 to 10:30 p.m., a beer garden and food trucks were available for those in attendance. Entertainment was provided by a local band, “The Astronauts” until the fireworks were underway over the Arkansas River. Many thanks to the staff, volunteers, and sponsors for this successful event, we look forward to another great show in 2017!
The morning of the event was a great day for the occasion. The natural resources of Arkalon park set the scene for a beautiful run. During the event we had 44 volunteers from the city and 18 from the community that helped with a variety of tasks throughout the day. Volunteers helped guide the racers, assisted with the registration process, parking, and aided with the two water stations. The course layout could not have been perfected without the help of Arkalon staff. The recreation department appreciates the help of the Arkalon staff for their help on the course and special thanks go to Shad Johnson and Jody Thompson. Overall, this event went exceedingly well. Runner’s evaluations expressed compliments and excitement for the upcoming year. Without participation and the gratitude from organizations and volunteers all across our community this event would not have been possible.
OCTOBER 5-8, 2016 | ST. LOUIS, MISSOURI
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Members ON THE MOVE Jeff Stewart of Gardner hired as JCPRD’s first-ever deputy director Jeff Stewart began his role as Johnson County’s deputy director on April 11, 2016. He brings 22 years of professional parks and recreation experience. Prior to accepting the JCPRD position, Stewart had served as the director of the Parks and Recreation Department for the city of Gardner since March of 2000. “Living and working in Johnson County for the last 16 years allowed me to develop an understanding of how awesome JCPRD and its team are to work with and be around,” Stewart said. “I was also very much attracted to recent efforts made by the district and its employees in visioning and planning for the future. With rapid growth projections for Johnson County, I believe we have an incredible opportunity and responsibility to continue to make Johnson County the best place to live, grow and play!”
Shawnee County announces staff appointments
Darrell Stewart
Derrick Mead
Blue Valley Recreation hires Jason Goin Blue Valley Recreation hired Jason Goin as the facility supervisor for its new indoor recreation facility being built at the Blue Valley School District’s Hilltop Campus. Goin will manage the indoor facility that includes an indoor run/walk track, eight basketball courts, eight volleyball courts, at least four pickle ball courts, and a fitness center. He will also oversee programming and staff throughout the facility that is set to open this fall.
Jessica Rakestraw
The Sports Division has announced the hiring of Derrick Mead as Youth Sports Manager. Mead comes from Wellsville, Kan., and brings journalism, public relations, publications and sports league experience to the division. He begins his duties May 31. Jessica Rakestraw has been named Centers Program Supervisor in the Recreation Division. She will manage center facilities and staff while collaborating to re-brand facilities. Rakestraw previously served as Youth Sports Manager. Josh Lehman has been appointed Outcomes Program Supervisor in the Administration Division. Lehman will oversee and coordinate data collection, tracking and retention for all department assets. Lehman has been with the City of Topeka and Shawnee County parks and recreation departments for 19 years.
Blue Valley Recreation hires Brooke Burger Brooke Burger has been named Program Assistant at Blue Valley Recreation. Brooke most recently worked for the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA) assisting with the Men’s Division I Basketball National Championship. Brooke joined Blue Valley Recreation on April 4th, 2016 and will work with Girls on the Run, Let Me Run, Youth Basketball, Softball and Volleyball.
Darrell Stewart has been appointed Community Outreach Manager at Shawnee County Parks + Recreation. Stewart will work with Neighborhood Improvement Associations in the metro area and Neighborhood Associations in smaller communities. Stewart will serve as SCP+R’s main contact with neighborhood organizations, sharing their needs with the department and reporting back to them on progress. Stewart has been with the City of Topeka and Shawnee County parks and recreation departments for more than 20 years.
Josh Lehman
Josh Strurm
Josh Sturm is Shawnee County Parks + Recreation’s new Community Events-Amenities Supervisor in the department’s Outdoor Adventure area. Sturm will oversee and coordinate community events at Lake Shawnee and Gage Park. He will also oversee all amenities such as the Gage Park mini-train and carousel and concession stands. Sturm previously served as a recreation leader.
Trishelle Griswold hired at Lawrence
Spring Hill hires Brian Peel
Trishelle Griswold has recently been named Aquatic Programmer with Lawrence Parks and Recreation. Previously, Trishelle worked for the Spring Hill Recreation Commission as a Special Events Coordinator, running all of their community events, maintaining their website, and handling their marketing needs. Now that Trishelle is working with Lawrence Parks and Recreation, she looks forward to implementing new and exciting programs at both their indoor and outdoor aquatic facilities.
Brian has been working in the parks & recreation field for nine years and has been named the new Recreation Director for the Spring Hill Recreation Commission. Most recently Brian had been working as the Parks & Recreation Director for the Town of Atoka in Atoka, TN for the past five years. Coming with him to Spring Hill are his wife Joni, son Knox, and daughter Manning. Brian’s first day with SHRC was July 18th.
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Members ON THE MOVE Derby Rec Charter Board Member Retires After 36 Years After more than 35 years of faithful dedication and service to his community, founding Board Member Ken Greteman is retiring for the Derby Recreation Commission’s Board of Directors this August. Greteman and his wife Judy moved to Derby in 1972 with their children Sonia and Brad. Ken quickly got involved in the community. He joined the Optimist Club and the Derby High School’s Quarterback Club, (later renamed Panther Pac) as president. He retired from Boeing after 41 years. His professional career in photography has been a lifelong hobby that he practices as he donates his talents to the Derby Recreation Commission, Derby Community Foundation and other organizations. In 1980, USD 260 residents voted to create the Derby Recreation Commission and Ken Greteman began a 35 year commitment to public service by providing quality public recreation to his community as a charter member of the Board of Directors. While the organization has expanded and changed over the years, Greteman’s dedication to his community and his leadership have remained steadfast. From fitness programs to community events, recreation centers to afterschool programs, Greteman has been instrumental in the initiation of the agency and fostering its growth as the organization it is today. During his tenure on the Board of the Derby Recreation Commission, Ken has witnessed and guided events and improvements in his community such as Garrett Park, managing and improving the Derby Municipal Pool, adding concession stands at recreation facilities throughout Derby, the creation and launch of the Derby Free Spirits and programs for special populations, construction of the Derby Recreation Center, High Park, the Derby High School Baseball Project, the Oaklawn Activity Center, Rock River Rapids, and countless other initiatives and projects. From starting with 13 youth and 12 adult programs its first year to expanding to offer more than 1,200 programs in several locations offered to USD 260 residents in 2015, Greteman’s service and leadership has fostered the growth and expansion of the DRC. In addition to serving on the Board of the DRC, Ken has also volunteered on the Derby Planning Commission, County Election Committees, and Meritrust Credit Union. Ken was recognized as Board Member of the Year by the Kansas Recreation and Parks Association in 2001, and in 2011 the Gretemans received the Mayor’s Award of Excellence from the City of Derby. The Board of Directors and past and present staff of the Derby Recreation Commission would like to honor and thank Ken Greteman for his years of leadership and service to the DRC and the residents of USD 260. Have an update for Members ON THE MOVE? Email it to Erika Devore, RD, KRPA Executive Director: erika@krpa.org.
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There’s a place where suppliers & KRPA members connect. KRPA TODAY magazine is published quarterly by Kansas Recreation & Park Association (KRPA). It features industry trends, upcoming events and editorial content related to the park and recreation industry. This is your opportunity to market directly to the people who need your products, services, classes and facilities.
Contact Todd Pernsteiner for advertising information at: info@pernsteiner.com or (952) 841-1111.
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KRPA Community Q&A Q: What are your guidelines/standards for cancelling a community event?
A: CHANUTE, POPULATION: 9,295
A: LEAWOOD, POPULATION: 32,000
While we can cancel an event for a variety of reasons, the most common reason would be for the safety of those participating/ attending. In the case of summer ball games, or other times of the year, our decision to cancel is based on the safety of the youth/adults involved in the activity. There have been times when we will make the call based on the forecast of severe weather (usually in the winter) which could affect the safety of all traveling to the event, but often it is based on the weather as it develops. Today’s technology allows us to more readily monitor approaching weather and we have lightning meters to show the general distance of lightning strikes. In the summer, we will postpone ball games/outdoor programs based on the American College of Sports Medicine (ACSM) guidelines for extreme heat. We make our determinations using forecasts shown on www.weather.com.
In Leawood, there are a variety of reasons for cancellation of games: storms (lightning, thunder, etc.); if the heat index on weather.gov reaches 111 degrees, poor field conditions from excessive rain or snow that could result in an injury or cause additional damage to the fields if they are used. Leawood will cancel an event if storms or rain start prior to the event and are forecast to remain in place throughout the duration of the event time. They will continue to watch the radar. When an event is cancelled, Leawood communicates this through their inclement weather phone line, local media, web page, Facebook, and Twitter. - Chris Claxton, City of Leawood
Orange Zone - Heat Index 99-105 degrees. Catchers will be allowed to catch only two innings in succession. Coaches are instructed to keep players well hydrated and to take frequent breaks. Red Zone - Heat Index 106-1010 degrees. Game or Practice Times were moved back one hour and/or game lengths were reduced. Black Zone - Heat Index over 110. All Outdoor Activities are canceled and rescheduled if possible. If a change to the original schedule is made, we contact the local radio station for broadcast and post it online, through our website (www.chanuterecreation.com), Facebook, etc. We also send out group emails to contact not only coaches but directly contact parents/guardians as possible. People can also call a cancellation hotline number, we have set up for any change/ cancellation information. - Steve Slane, City of Chanute
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Why Noat Water Park? By Melissa McCoy, Project Developement Coordinator, City of Dodge City and Paul Lewis, Parks and Recreation Director, City of Dodge City
Dodge City, Kansas opened Long Branch Lagoon, a western inspired destination water park on Memorial Day weekend this year. This $12.3 million dollar facility is located in Wright Park and the downtown Heritage District, and is a major component of a $45 million dollar downtown redevelopment program and is within walking distance of the famed Boot Hill Museum, historic downtown and the Santa Fe Depot. Long Branch Lagoon covers 27,000 square feet of water surface area comprised of three pools, a 50 meter, 8 lane lap pool, shallow water play pool, and a lazy river/wave pool. Amenities include a Boomerango slide, a 300 foot closed tube slide, and an interactive play structure along with various other slides, three meter diving platform and more. Long Branch Lagoon is unique in its theming and honors Dodge City’s western heritage. The play structure sets the tone for the facility with steer heads, a covered wagon, cowboy silhouettes, dumping buckets, a windmill and so on. The park features all have names that conjure up memories of the Old west, like Cowboy Creek (the 720 foot
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lazy river), Fort Splash, (the shallow water pool and play structure). Wrangler Rapids (the wave pool), the Gunslinger (the tube slide), and Doc’s Plunge, the only Boomerango slide within 700 miles. Other elements also support the western theme. Sculptured rock walls feature water falls cascading into the lazy river and wave pool. Signage is hand painted on salvaged barn wood. Elements positioned in landscape areas include an old wagon, a campfire setup with an iron kettle, an antique hand pump and horse trough, split rail fencing, an actual Longhorn steer skull, and even an old outhouse provided from a local farmstead. Non-functioning of course. This project has been a long time coming. In fact, it took over fifteen years to even break ground. In 2001, community members first proposed the idea of adding additional amenities to the City’s undersized and failing traditional pool. Throughout the years subsequent efforts supporting aquatic improvements also failed to gain traction until 2013 when the latest effort supported by a local Aquatics Task Force convinced both the City and County Commissions to
back a project funded through the Why Not Dodge Sales Tax. Why Not Dodge is a one cent City and County sales tax designed to construct recreational facilities that attracts visitors to the community and supports the tourism economy. To date, major projects completed through the Why Not Dodge fund include: Dodge City Raceway Park, a 3/8’s mile motor sports facility; Legends Park, a premier four diamond baseball/ softball complex and Cavalier Field Baseball Field; United Wireless Arena and Boot Hill Casino Conference Center, a 4000 seat arena and 10,000 sq. ft. conference center. Based on the Why Not Dodge tourism mandate, it was critical that Long Branch Lagoon provide amenities and features to draw regional interest and create overnight stays and support other local tourism attractions. Other efforts taking place in the community came together at the
same time to create a comprehensive program intended to revitalize the downtown area. The $45 million Heritage STAR Bond initiative is a public/private partnership that packages private development with multiple public improvements. At the forefront of this development is a partnership with Leisure Hotels and Resorts, based out of Prairie Village, KS. Leisure is developing a 90 room Holiday Inn Express hotel adjoining Long Branch Lagoon on the north scheduled to open May of 2017. Leisure is also rehabilitating the historic Guymon Petro warehouse building into the Guymon Petro Bar and Grill, a western themed restaurant that will open in November of 2016. Leisure will develop the Fort Dodge RV Park, a 100
slip RV Park scheduled to open in of October of this year. In addition to Long Branch Lagoon, other public improvements will provide a major expansion to Boot Hill Museum to create an additional 12,000 sq. ft. of exhibit space. The City will also construct new parking structures, make traffic improvements and add new landscaping eliminating a blighted area along the community’s primary east/west corridor. All combined, these projects create new energy and dramatically increase commerce into the downtown area to support additional development and growth. The design and construction of Long Branch Lagoon began in 2014 with the formal selection of Water’s Edge Aquatic Design of Lenexa, KS as the
Long Branch Lagoon Full of Great Features Over 27,000 square feet of surface area full of fun and exciting family aquatic adventure await visitors at Long Branch Lagoon. They can float along Cowboy Creek, the 720 foot lazy river, relax and feel the waves at Wrangler Rapids wave pool. Rip down Dalton’s Plunge, the boomerang slide that will take your breath away and enjoy sprays, water cannons, dumping buckets and more at Fort Splash, the shallow water pool and play structure. And there’s a lot more, a climbing wall, drop slides, diving towers, Olympic sized lap pool, water basketball and the list goes on.
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Why Noat Water Park? lead consultant for the project. Dave Schwartz, lead engineer for the project often joked that Dodge City was his longest running client as he first started to work with Dodge City back in 2001. In additional to the amenities intended to represent the western heritage, the design contains mechanical components compatible with local conditions. The Neptune Benson Defender filtration system was selected because of its efficient use of water. Western Kansas and Dodge City is a semi-arid environment with minimal surface water. All local water supply is provided from groundwater in the Ogallala aquifer which has declined steadily for many years. So water conservation is critical and the Defender’s ability to send less water to waste through the regeneration process was a significant consideration. Other choices included the use of the Nex-Gen Chlor King chlorine generation system. The simplicity and ease of use combined with a safer and cost effective generation system provided long term cost benefits to make this system the preferred option. Finally, the Sentry Indirect pool heating system provides a 96% efficient system for the 50 meter lap pool. The staged heat units are easy to maintain, use less energy, and have a longer life cycle than traditional boiler heating units. McCownGordon of Kansas City with offices in Manhattan, KS. was selected as the Construction Manager at Risk for the project. They came into the project during the design phase and assisted with developing project cost estimates and sourcing alternatives and options to bring the project in on budget. After a competitive RFQ process, Standguard Aquatics, a Georgia based firm, was selected as the operator/ manager of the City owned Long Branch Lagoon. StandGuard is responsible for all daily operations including staffing,
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training, day to day maintenance, chemical maintenance, custodial care, and concessions for the operation. They also provide all facility programing including swim lessons, fitness programs, parties and rentals and special events at the facility. During opening weekend, the park welcomed approximately 4,000 people and continues to average 1100 visitors a day. Long Branch Lagoon is meeting its objectives by bringing people into the community from throughout the region and tourists and visitors in the community are enjoying a great aquatic experience that supports and enhances Dodge City’s old west culture and name recognition. Not bad for a community of just over 28,000 in rural Southwest Kansas. What the Long Branch Lagoon Patrons have to say about the park“My personal opinion is that this is the best thing to happen to Dodge City this summer. Tourists and locals alike will definitely enjoy this and it will be a bucket list favorite. Plenty to do and tire yourself out on for all ages. My family and I purchased season passes and we are absolutely happy we did. I look forward to lots more fun here for many more summers to come. Two thumbs up from me.” “This is exactly what we needed in Dodge City!! Fun for the whole family. Something for everyone!!! Thank you for all the supporters that got this here!! Now let’s enjoy it & take care of our very own beautiful waterpark!!” “Went with our five year old today and had a wonderful time! So many activities for all ages, lots of lifeguards and clean. The park is a jewel in Dodge City adding to the many great attractions we already have. We will be going back again soon!” “Such a great addition to south west Kansas! We will enjoy this water park for years to come!”
What Long Branch Lagoon Patrons say about the park… “My personal opinion is that this is the best thing to happen to Dodge City this summer. Tourists and locals alike will definitely enjoy this and it will be a bucket list favorite. Plenty to do and tire yourself out on for all ages. My family and I purchased season passes and we are absolutely happy we did. I look forward to lots more fun here for many more summers to come. Two thumbs up from me.” “This is exactly what we needed in Dodge City!! Fun for the whole family. Something for everyone! Thank you for all the supporters that got this here! Now let’s enjoy it & take care of our very own beautiful waterpark!” “Went with our five year old today and had a wonderful time! So many activities for all ages, lots of lifeguards and clean. The park is a jewel in Dodge City adding to the many great attractions we already have. We will be going back again soon!” “Such a great addition to south west Kansas! We will enjoy this water park for years to come!”
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F O R E SUMM S L A V I T S FE 16 • KRPA Today - www.krpa.org
LENEXA KNOWS FESTIVALS By Susanne Neely, City of Lenexa
Known in this region as the City of Festivals, Lenexa organizes numerous annual festivals and events - some for several decades now - as a fun way to bring friends and neighbors together and foster community spirit. The city works to offer a variety of events to entertain and engage community members with different interests. Here are a few examples:
The Great Lenexa BBQ Battle – Kansas State Championship The Great Lenexa BBQ Battle started in 1982 when Lenexa residents Alan Uhl and Pat Dalton turned their idea for a barbeque contest in Lenexa into a reality. One year earlier Pat joined Alan to compete as a team in the second American Royal BBQ held in Kansas City. They took first place in the Miscellaneous Division and had such a good time that they decided to propose a BBQ contest as a fun addition to the Lenexa Community Days celebration, held each year during the week of July 4th. The first Lenexa BBQ was held July 3, 1982, at what was then known as Indian Trails Park (now the location of the city’s skate park). Only 12 teams competed that first year, and 12 judges selected the winner: Paul Kirk. Two years later, in 1984, Governor John Carlin proclaimed the contest the official Kansas State Championship. The contest has grown to its current permanent size of 185 teams and 240 judges, with a wait list both for teams and judges. The two-day event, which includes children’s activities and live music, attracts teams from all over the country who compete for the coveted title of Grand Champion. Prizes and ribbons are awarded to the top 10 finishers in seven categories, and the top three winners overall. Approximately 12,000-15,000 people attend annually. This past June marked the 35th anniversary of the event. To commemorate
the anniversary, a special video was made featuring the founders, Alan Uhl and Pat Dalton, who both continue to serve on the BBQ Committee. View the video: facebook.com/cityoflenexa/ videos/10154038474600432/
café treats, and samples from the spinach cooking demos. Quirky contests such as the Swee’Pea baby crawling, rock skipping and spinach recipe contests also provide fun entertainment for participants and spectators.
Lenexa Spinach Festival
Lenexa Art Fair
Where can you go to hang out with Popeye and Olive Oyl, sample tasty (and sometimes unusual) spinach fare and shop at a variety of art, craft and antique booths? The Lenexa Spinach Festival, of course.
Art fairs, wine tastings, craft beer tastings and food trucks are popular community activities. So when Lenexa Parks and Recreation set out to create a new festival for the community in 2014, organizers knew these activities would be an important feature.
For more than 30 years, the Lenexa community has come together on the first Saturday after Labor Day to celebrate the green leafy veggie that brought fame to the city in the early 1930s. Back at the time, Belgian truck farmers in and around Lenexa struggled during the terrible drought, which wiped out most crops in the area. Spinach grew beautifully, but there wasn’t much demand for it. That is until Popeye entered the picture. A buyer from Chicago showed up in the Kansas City market looking for high quality spinach, which had become in high demand in larger cities because of the famous cartoon sailorman, who was known to eat his spinach anytime he needed a boost of strength. The buyer found the beautiful spinach grown by Lenexa farmers and practically overnight, Lenexa was placed on the map for its exceptional spinach. Kids were pulled from school to help families harvest the spinach as quickly as possible. The railroad and ice companies were booming with business. Spinach helped Lenexa farmers thrive through the drought and Great Depression years. The Spinach Festival attracts families from the region for a fun day of shopping, live music, historical demonstrations, kids’ activities and delicious food, including the “World’s Largest Spinach Salad, ” spinach
The Lenexa Art Fair is a juried art event that showcases about 50 fine-art booths in a variety of categories and offers food truck concessions, live jazz music and a wine and craft beer tasting. The art fair takes place at the exciting and rapidly growing City Center mixed-use downtown development in Lenexa. It’s a perfect day out for art enthusiasts, jazz lovers, and wine or beer connoisseurs. Visitors from across the metropolitan area enjoy meeting artists, shopping for quality fine art and sampling the gourmet fare sold at the food trucks. During the evening, they can purchase a bottle of wine from the wineries to enjoy while listening to the live jazz bands, or participate in the wine and craft beer tasting for a fee.
Lenexa Chili Challenge What goes better with a chilly fall weekend than a delicious, hot bowl of chili! The annual Lenexa Chili Challenge – which celebrates its 30th anniversary this October – brings together families, neighbors, local civic groups and businesses for a weekend of hometown fun, friendly competition, and of course, lots of chili!
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Held each year during the third weekend of October, the Lenexa Chili Challenge draws about 7,000-10,000 people for live music, a fireworks show on Friday night, and free chili samples from the teams on Saturday. About 200 teams complete in the traditional and homestyle chili categories as well as the salsa and hot wings contests. In recent years, new activities, such as the Kids Kornbread Contest and Hot Pepper Eating Contest have been included for additional fun.
Lenexa Freedom Run & Community Days Parade July 4th celebrations start early in the morning with a family-friendly 5K and 10K race, followed by the annual Community Days Parade, held in Old Town Lenexa. Each year, about 1,500 runners and
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walkers of all activity levels come from all parts of the Kansas City metro to participate in the Freedom Run, which marked its 38th anniversary in 2016. Soon after the run, the streets of Old Town are filled with families and neighbors, decked out in their red “I Like Lenexa” shirts or their patriotic red, white and blue for the annual parade, which includes bands, Scouts and neighborhood groups on decorated bicycles and scooters, community groups, dance and cheer groups, and more.
Moonlight Bike Ride Hundreds of community members meet up in Old Town Lenexa for the Moonlight Bike Ride – a unique experience of riding their bicycles together on city streets at night. The family friendly ride draws friends, youth groups as well as experienced
cyclists on a nine-mile, closed-course route through town, including the popular ride through the Meritex caves, a 3 million-square foot subsurface business park located in the city. Many participants dress up in costumes or decorate their bicycles with glow sticks for added fun. After the ride, participants have the option of attending a pancake breakfast for an additional fee.
Tails on the Trails Pet Festival Pet lovers and their dogs enjoy this annual event designed just for them. Held at one of the city’s outdoor pools after it closes for the season, Tails on the Trails pet festival includes the popular dog swims, pet show, police K-9 demonstrations, and an opportunity for pet owners to meet with a variety of pet vendors.
How a Running Class turned into a Festival for Emporia Recreation Commission By Jennifer Bennett, City of Emporia For many years, Emporia Recreation Commission has been concerned with childhood obesity and the overall health of our community. When we created our logo, we made the tag line “Active for Life”. In an effort to make a difference, ERC’s Program Supervisor, Amanda Gutierrez, started a program called Couch to 5K in 2012. This is a free on-line beginner running program that anyone can use, but we turned it into a class of couch potatoes seeking a more active lifestyle with a common goal of running their first 5K ever. It was a huge success. The next year we added a kids running program in all of our After School programs. The natural progression of our successful running classes was to host a festival around their first 5K race. So in May 2013, we threw a party on our front lawn to celebrate our 60th birthday, and to celebrate the first finish line ever for our Couch to 5K graduates! We just celebrated the 4th Annual Birthday Bash on May 1, 2016 with 125 runners including graduates, kids, and families! Part of the success of our Birthday Bash is that we build excitement for our festival all year with our Couch to 5K classes. This year we introduced a new incentive program, to keep our graduates running, called the Emporia Super Series of Races. Everyone who competes in at least 10 qualifying community race events will receive an award at a ceremony in December. Over 100 racers signed up for this program this first year, many of them graduates of our Couch to 5K program!
As with any festival, we rely on volunteers and community partners to keep the cost of the event at a minimum. We chose to host our Birthday Bash on-site with the intention of introducing the community to our actual physical location. So much of our programming occurs off-site, we thought by hosting a festival on our front lawn it would give everyone a chance to see what else we have to offer, including racquetball courts, fitness center, indoor pool, gymnasium and walking track. We have many full and part-time staff who volunteer their time to help us- cooking hotdogs and popcorn, setting up bleachers, tables, and inflatables, securing intersections for our runners, serving water stations, and cleaning up. And we have many generous community partners- the Police Department setting up road blocks and stopping traffic at intersections (including our Police Chief Scott Cronk holding a stop sign), our neighbor businesses who share their parking lots, and many food vendors donating free food. Emporia is a very generous community and the answer is almost always yes when we ask for help. With the growth in running that we have seen in our community, we applied for and received a grant from Emporia Community Foundation to purchase state-of-the-art race timing equipment. We partner with many community organizations to time their races for a small fee, which increases their attendance and helps them raise more money. The new Super Series has created a community of partners that help
promote each other’s races, increasing participation in ALL races. We have learned many things about hosting a large event since that first year. For instance, the optimum temperature to run a 5K, especially for a beginner, is about 60-70 degrees. We always host our Birthday Bash the first Sunday in May- the first year we had snow the day before and it was 45 degrees, and the second year it was 93! We debated changing the date, but then remembered we live in Kansas, and you just never know what the weather will be! We are passionate about what our running program can do to increase physical activity in our community. Running is an inexpensive physical activity that can be done anywhere, including indoors, with ERC’s indoor track. We have people of every age and ability that have successfully completed our classes, and their stories are motivational to others. The sense of accomplishment that comes with completing a race is not just about fitness, or even good health. It can be life-changing for participants, and can become a very healthy life-long habit. We live where we work and where we play, our community is important to us, and we strive to offer our patrons quality activities for their health and recreation. And we love celebrating our newest runners with our annual birthday party –√ Emporia Recreation’s Birthday Bash!
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FESTIVAL TIPS:
SPONSORSHIP Tip 1: When planning an event/festival, keep the sponsors in mind. When we introduced and planned the Kid Fish & Cardboard Boat Regatta in Rowlett (this isn’t a festival but similar), the first thing we did was reach out to the brand new Academy Sports and Outdoor store that had opened 1 month prior. They provided all of the prizes and some fishing poles for the kids to use. We put them on the flyer, the banner at event and allowed them to have a booth at the event to pass out coupons and such. Sometimes businesses will approach you. Don’t just take their number and call them when you need them, work with them, establish a relationship, consult them about events they may like to be a part of it. Throughout my day to day interaction in the community in Rowlett, I got to know the Palio’s Pizza owner quite well. He came to the Family Campout in 2013, let me know how much his family enjoyed it and how thankful they were that we had the event and that we did a good job…. The next year I used that leverage to work out a sponsorship and Palio’s Pizza. He ended up donating all of the food for dinner (pizza, pasta, bread sticks and salad… $1476 value!) Tip 2: At a festival, identify your assets Where can we get a sponsor’s name? In my experience we have put signage/ banners/flyers in the following places: Stage (Title Sponsor – helped pay for the entertainment); Kid’s area (Children’s
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By Adam Richter, Director of Community Events, Hutchinson Recreation Commission
sponsors- helped pay for the bounce houses/game truck/kids entertainment); Porta Johns (porta-john sponsors – helped pay for the PJ’s); Signage in vendor area (vendor sponsor); VIP area sponsors (helped off-set costs for the VIP area near the stage; one time we made up magnetic signs and put them on the shuttles that were transporting people from the local high school to the event site (Shuttle Sponsor). Tip 3: Evaluate your hot spots. Which spots (at the festival) are the hot spots? Which locations should be worth more on paper? Obviously the stage, beer tent and the children’s area are the biggest hot spots at every event site. Tip 4: Know your numbers. Be able to walk in the “room” and have important numbers and statistics in your pocket. Know how many people are coming to your events, know where they are coming from, know who they are (age/ demographics); social media followers; radio ads; newspaper subscribers; views online; etc. Do you have signage (advertisement) up with a sponsor logo on it at a busy intersection? Work with the city to determine how many cars pass this spot per day on weekdays or weekends. The more numbers you know the better. People like statistics.
Tip 5: Send out letters with letter/ flyer/post card/sponsorship brochure When people see they are getting something from Hutch Rec or a City, they are more inclined to open it since there’s probably something important inside it. • Follow up with phone calls one week after it is sent out. • No answer? Leave message. • Call back once after that and send email • No more than that. Tip 6: Research prospects. Research prospects before sending the letters out. See who’s new in town. Who have we not contacted before? Who may have an interest in this specific event or festival? Tip 7: Once you have a sponsor who has verbally agreed, negotiate an agreement and stick to it. Tip 8: Fulfill the agreement. If you say “you will be included in radio ads week of the event,” make sure they are included in the radio ads during the week of the event.
FESTIVAL TIPS:
VOLUNTEERS Tip 9: Identify benefits of why businesses should sponsor this event. • We have people coming who are part of your market • Enhanced visibility of your business
Volunteers are a wonderful resource at your city’s festivals and events. When engaging the right volunteers, everyone benefits: the volunteers themselves, the event organizers and the community/event patrons. Here are a few tips for engaging awesome volunteers at your events:
• Lead generation/new contacts • Get your brand noticed
Tip 1: Don’t be afraid to ask.
•Give attendees a “taste” of your business
People like to be involved in their community, so when you personally reach out to a prospective volunteer about a specific opportunity, you form a connection, and you are able to communicate how that person’s help will make a difference. I’ve found this to be a very effective way to engage new volunteers throughout the years.
• Face to face interaction is always good Tip 10: Follow up! • Reach out to your sponsors following the event • See if there were any problems/issues • What worked, what didn’t • To ensure you come back to sponsors next time around, what can we do or change • Make them feel like they are a part of the event and special, keep them in the loop Tip 11: Don’t let them forget you throughout the year. • Call them on their birthday! • Wish them Happy Holidays or happy new year! • Hey I saw that article in the news on your Doctor office…that’s pretty cool. Call them, email, social media. Be on their mind and make them see/think that they are on your mind at all times. Tip 12: Contact people one year out. I have had success with major corporations, small mom and pop shops, insurance agencies, churches, doctor/dentist offices, new restaurants, etc.
Tip 2: Engage existing volunteers for new, similar tasks. Once you’ve formed a connection with a volunteer, it’s easier to engage him or her in other events or opportunities. Many times, volunteers aren’t aware of all of the opportunities available. After getting to know your volunteers and seeing their strengths, you can suggest other similar opportunities to them. For example, if you find that a volunteer is detail oriented working at a registration table, you may also engage the volunteer to help with result tabulation at another event. Tip 3: Ask program participants. People who have signed up for your 5K race, chili cook-off or art fair are already fans of your event. Consider asking them to help with a volunteer job that occurs at a different time. For example, the 5K runner might be willing to assist at packet pick-up for your race. Or one of the members of your chili cook-off teams might be willing to serve and assist with team check-in. We’ve also engaged spouses of artists in the art fair to serve as art ambassadors at the event.
By Jenny Doty, Lenexa Parks and Recreation
Tip 4: Bring a buddy! It’s often more fun to volunteer when you can do the job with a friend. If you find that you need extra hands at your event, ask your existing volunteers if they have friends who would like to help. Suggest that your volunteers forward your emails and other volunteer opportunities notices to their friends. This will help you continue to build your core of volunteers. Tip 5: Use community groups. Don’t forget to look at community groups such as places of worship, civic groups, area high schools and local businesses for potential volunteers. Many of these groups are looking for ways for their members or employees to engage with the community, and high school students are often looking for service hours to meet requirements for National Honor Society or Student Council, etc. Tip 6: Thank your volunteers! Volunteers like to know their time, energy and expertise were put to good use and that they are appreciated. At Lenexa Parks and Recreation, we have a recognition program that allows us to recognize volunteers after so many hours of service. We also host a volunteer appreciation dinner each year where we recognize outstanding volunteers and members of our volunteer boards and councils. But in addition to these important recognition opportunities, I like to make sure that I personally thank each volunteer after an event and let him or her know how important their help was to our community. It goes a long way with developing a relationship with volunteers.
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