Minnesota Recreation & Park MINNESOTA Magazine by Pernsteiner Creative Group, Inc.

Celebrating 75 Years

MINNESOTA Official Publication of Minnesota Recreation and Park Association

Volume 7, Issue 1

Spring 2012

Recreation and Parks MRPA Awards Ceremony

g n i t t Ge d r o W the

Teaching Kids to be Healthy

n o i t a c i n u gies e m m ag e u o t g C tra in Lan S g Pla n Usi

Also Inside:

2012 Event Space Guide

www.mnrpa.org

See what the new kid on the block can do for your next meeting, special event or competition.

Discover St. Louis Park is just under a year old, but our city is no stranger to hosting events and meetings. This year St. Louis Park will play host to the Minnesota Tree Climbing Championships and Twin Cities Film Fest. Last year we hosted a new event, Cavalia, the cirque-style spectacle. Our central location which includes unique indoor and outdoor meeting and event spaces will make your functions more memorable. St. Louis Park is convenient and easy to get to â&#x20AC;&#x201C; literally right across the street from Minneapolis. So close, in fact, we share a zip code. Contact us at (952) 426-4047 to see how our hotels and event spaces can host your next big event in St. Louis Park. Comfortably close to it all.

www.discoverstlouispark.com (952) 426-4047

MINNESOTA Recreation and Parks

Publisher Minnesota Recreation and Park Association 200 Charles Street NE, Fridley, MN 55432 www.mnrpa.org Tel: 763.571.1305 Editorial Staff Michelle J. Snider Bethani Gerhard Editorial Board Patty Anderson, Maple Grove Jan Ficken, Brooklyn Park Jennifer Fink, Anoka County Chad Ubl, Winona Heidi Sedlacek, New Brighton

Celebrating 75 Years WHAT’s INSIDE By MRPA Magazine Editorial Board

As you read through this issue of the magazine we challenge you to think philosophically. If you are a member of MRPA, an elected official or advocate of parks and recreation, think as you read through the articles; is there another service that is as innovative as recreation? Then think if there is another service that states its message clearer to its users than recreation.

MINNESO TA Official

Publicat

ion of

Past President: Cris Gears, Three Rivers Park District Secretary: Diane Evans, Plymouth Treasurer: Dale McCamish, Rochester RSC Chair: Lyndell Frey, Eden Prairie East Metro: Barry Bernstein, Hastings East Metro: Dan Schultz, Rosemount East Metro: Jason T. West, New Brighton Northwest Region: Brad Bonk, Willmar Northeast Region: Marc Mattice, Wright County Southern Region: Rick Schaber, Saint Charles West Metro: Aimee Peterson, Chaska West Metro: Andy Soltvedt, Golden Valley West Metro: Donna Tilsner, Edina

eation

and Park

Associati

Celebrat ing 75 Year s

Recrea tion an d

Getting the Word

Parks

MRPA Aw Ceremards ony Teac Kids tohing be Health y

ication Commun gies Strate ge in Langua Using Pla

ALSO

INSID

nt Spa

MRPA Board of Directors President: Jack Kirk, Fridley President-Elect: Cindy Walsh, St. Louis Park

a Recr

Volume

7, Issu e1 Spring 2012

2012 Eve

Advertising & Design Pernsteiner

Minnesot

ce Gu

ide

Whether it be tackling the most livable city in America, creating a brand for your city, or creating new ways to communicate with our patrons, recreation continues to lead in the category of innovation. We even have established criteria for the Tommy Johnson Award, given this year to Bemidji Parks and Recreation, for their innovation. Our corporate members even recognize our needs within the field and provide innovative products. www.mnr pa.o

One more innovative thought, turn to the last page of the magazine to the MRPA Flashback. Besides the advances in equipment what innovations would we see today if we took a similar snapshot of youth playing broomball? The answer is tricky; none. After 75 years of serving Minnesota’s recreational needs, we still provide at the most basic level... fun, active kids, smiles, the rush to get the ball, trees, benches, friendships and camaraderie. The best innovation is that we haven’t tried to tinker with the basics.

This magazine is the official quarterly publication of Minnesota Recreation and Park Association and is provided complimentary to members as part of their MRPA membership. The editorial board encourages the submission of articles and photos for publication. Articles of approximately 500-700 words or less may be submitted, but may be edited for length and clarity. Contact Michelle Snider, MRPA, at 763.571.1305 x100 if interested in submitting an article for a future issue.

Deadlines for Articles and Advertising Spring 2012 issue.......................... February 28 Summer 2012 issue...............................April 13 Fall 2012 issue......................................... July 30 Winter 2012 issue........................... October 14 MRPA reserves the right to approve all submitted advertising in MINNESOTA Recreation and Parks magazine. All requests for advertising should be made to Todd Pernsteiner, Account Manager, at 952.841.1111 or info@pernsteiner.com.

Park & Trail System Plan Park Master Plan Park Design Funding & Implementation

866.830.3388 www.sehinc.com bkost@sehinc.com

An affiliate of National Recreation and Park Association

Spring 2012 • MINNESOTA Recreation and Parks 3

TABLE OF CONTENTS What’s Inside........................................................................ 3 From the Board President................................................... 5 Meet Nate Rosa.................................................................... 6 Saint Paul Parks and Recreation......................................... 8 Teaching Kids to be Healthy in Afterschool Programs.................................................... 10 New Innovations from MRPA Corporate Members....... 11 Getting the Word Out: Communication Strategies in Recreation and Parks..................................................... 12 MRPA Awards Ceremony.................................................. 20 Naturally Hospitable Spaces............................................ 23 MRPA Flashback................................................................. 30

ADVERTISER INDEX Bell Structural Solutions...................................................... 6 Clearwater Recreation....................................................... 19 Discover St. Louis Park........................... Inside Front Cover Knapper Tables.................................................................. 16 Landscape Structures.......................................................... 7 Minneapolis Northwest..................................................... 22 Moses Images......................................................Back Cover Pernsteiner............................................................................ 4 Safety Plus Playground Surfacing, LLC............................ 19 Science Museum of Minnesota ............ Inside Back Cover SEH........................................................................................ 3 St. Croix Recreation Co..................................................... 20 Wood Product Signs...........................................Back Cover Thank you to our advertisers for your help in supporting MINNESOTA Recreation and Parks magazine. We kindly ask members to please support our advertisers. Interested in advertising? Contact Todd Pernsteiner at 952.841.1111 or info@pernsteiner.com.

Forging partnerships one client at a time. • Event planning & marketing • Association magazines & ad sales • Sponsorship programs • Marketing & brand design

www.pernsteiner.com / (952) 841-1111 (formerly Pernsteiner Creative Group)

4 MINNESOTA Recreation and Parks • www.mnrpa.org

FROM THE BOARD PRESIDENT By Jack Kirk, MRPA President

As I start my term as President of the Minnesota Recreation and Park Association, I want to thank all of you for your support and assistance as we collectively work to make 2012 a successful and memorable year for MRPA. I also want to thank outgoing President Cris Gears and the entire 2011 Board of Directors for a job well done. Your leadership and guidance was first-rate and our association is better because of your dedicated service. This is an interesting and exciting time for the Minnesota Recreation and Park Association. We are starting the implementation of our recently completed Strategic Vision Plan, celebrating 75 years as an association, looking at the make-up of our sections and committees, and studying the programs and services our association provides. We have a lot to do, but together we can be of great service to an association that has served us well throughout our careers. During the past year the Minnesota Recreation and Park Association members put a lot of time and effort into developing a vision for our future. The MRPA Strategic Vision Plan was formulated and is now ready to be implemented. It’s a detailed plan to guide our association to even greater heights in the coming years. With 26 key action items, the strategic plan will be a challenge for our volunteer driven association to accomplish. The ideas and action items were developed by the professional members of MRPA and the members will be the key resource in seeing this plan through to a successful completion. One of the key action items targeted for implementation this year is to: “Expand successful revenue programs; reduce deficit programs; and explore additional revenue models.” The Board of Directors asked me to establish a task force to look at our provision of the recreational

sports program. I have established this 12 member task force being chaired by MRPA President-Elect Cindy Walsh and asked them to: 1. Identify strengths and weaknesses of the current status of MRPA’s recreational sports programs and staffing. 2. Identify changes that can be made to the current recreational sports programs that will improve our services for the sports participant, that will provide for a positive revenue source, and will establish a sustainable service delivery system. 3. Consider alternative service delivery models, including the possibility of a partnership with other adult and/or youth athletic program providers. 4. Prepare a set of recommendations by the end of the year to help guide the Board in establishing reasonable expectations for revenue-generating programs and services that can support the Association’s mission. They recently had their first meeting and are enthusiastically approaching an important topic impacting the long-term financial health of our association While there is a lot of work to do in 2012, this will also be a year of celebration. This is a landmark year for our Association as we will be commemorating our 75th year of serving the parks and recreation profession in our great State of Minnesota. Those who have steered this Association for the past three quarters of a century have led us on the right path. Thank you to our past presidents and past Board members for getting us to where we are today. We are extremely grateful for your service. We have some exciting special events planned to celebrate the 75 years of our association. The first of those events was held a couple of weeks back with 25

members and friends attending a wonderful performance of Hairspray at the Chanhassen Dinner Theatres. Those of us participating had a great time and ended the show literally dancing in the aisles. Remember the upcoming events, the Twins Game on Friday, April 13, the Mississippi River Cruise on Thursday, July 26 and the Anniversary Banquet at the MRPA Annual Conference at Cragun’s on Thursday, September 20. I encourage all MRPA members to attend these events and truly celebrate 75 years of a great association. Why not help make these events extra meaningful by making a special effort to personally invite a retiree or former member of MRPA to join you? Intermingling our past with our present will really make these events a success. An Association is only as strong as its members. For those of you that have been actively involved in the endeavors of MRPA, I want to thank you. For those of you that are planning on being involved in the coming year, I thank you and look forward to working with you. If you are not involved at the present time, I’d like you to consider becoming involved with at least one MRPA effort. Become active in a section, sit on a committee, or help at an event or educational session. I am confident that you will be glad you did. The mission of the MRPA is to improve the quality of life in Minnesota by enhancing parks, open space, recreation, and leisure services. Let’s work together to make our state association even stronger and more vibrant. We all have a lot to do... at our jobs and in our personal lives. Please know that your time and effort on behalf of the Minnesota Recreation and Park Association is greatly appreciated. Wherever your daily adventure takes you...remember to always do your best and really enjoy the journey! Spring 2012 • MINNESOTA Recreation and Parks 5

Meet Nate Rosa

Nate Rosa’s introduction to the parks and recreation profession was when he worked at the Elk River Softball Complex in field maintenance and concessions. It was a position that he was paid $3 an hour. “My parks and recreation profession has been enjoyable from the start,” states Rosa, recreation supervisor for the City of St. Louis Park. “I have been very fortunate to work with a lot of talented people.” Rosa added that he has learned a lot from Jenny Buskey, Michelle Margo, Jerry Ruegemer, Rick Birno, and his college advisor Joy Joyner. “The favorite part of my job is taking the lessons I have learned from the aforementioned and passing them on to staff that I supervise, and our yearly interns,” says Rosa. “It is great knowing you can have a job where people want to be involved in the things you are working on or programs you are helping to provide.” Rosa’s involvement in the Minnesota Recreation and Park Association began as a student member in 2002. He has since been involved with the programming section, aquatics section, and the summer leadership workshop. Rosa is currently the chair of the aquatics section and helped immensely with the latest aquatics conference. “I am helping to expand the leadership workshop to include other positions outside of the usual playground leader position, and I am currently working with the upcoming 2012 Adventure Race committee.” Rosa states that there have been days that he may have wanted to go home from work early, but there has never been a day that he did not want to go to work. “The networking and camaraderie in our profession is unlike most I have seen making this the final point of enjoyment during my time in this field,” he adds. MRPA members are the heart of our organization. They are involved and committed to advancing the parks and recreation programming. MRPA in Action is a new magazine feature which will highlight one section/committee and one professional per issue.

6 MINNESOTA Recreation and Parks • www.mnrpa.org

New Colors for Inspired Play Our colorful inspirations come from here, there and everywhere. When applied with thoughtful inspiration, color can enhance the aesthetic appeal of your playstructure and even the play experience itself. Some colors seem more playful, others more modern or more natural. Some colors can be all of these things! We are inspired by kids ready to play. We are inspired by the way color can tell a story. Learn more about our color inspirations at playlsi.com/color-inspirations.

Contact your local playground consultant in Minnesota: Serving all Minnesota zip5607 codes except 565 South & 567 Cedar Lake Road St. Louis Park, MN 55416 877.550.7860 877.550.7860 763.550.7860 763.550.7860 flinfo@flagshipplay.com agshipplay.com

Serving Minnesota zip codes 565 & 567

800.726.4064 701.237.6181 dakotafence.com

ÂŠ2012 Landscape Structures Inc.

Saint Paul

Parks and Recreation: Vision to Action in Challenging Times Challenges and Opportunities – The impetus to plan The City of Saint Paul‘s goal is to be the Most Livable City in America. With its rich history, charming character, diverse neighborhoods, and extensive park system, the City is well positioned to meet that goal. However, like many established cities, Saint Paul’s park and recreation system was built over time based on environmental, cultural and recreational perspectives that are different from today’s diverse needs. While the park system has served the City well; it is aging, does not fully meet the needs of this dynamic city, and is not sustainable from a fiscal or environmental perspective.

hensive Plan and a Parks and Recreation Citizen Survey provided a foundation of community direction for the vision. The consultant team used hands-on participatory work sessions with City staff and extensive City research information to frame the opportunities, challenges and desired future. The resulting vision defined the Department’s role in city livability as revolving around health, community and the environment. Six goals were developed that represent the Department vision and mission:

Since Mayor Chris Coleman took office in 2006, he has made it a priority for the city of Saint Paul to achieve structural balance and fiscal stability. It was clear to City leaders that a new vision and paradigm for the parks and recreation system were needed. In 2008 the City hired the planning and design firm - Hoisington Koegler Group Inc. (HKGi) with assistance from Treeline and Miller Dunwiddie Architects to help prepare a vision for the future and an action plan to achieve that vision.

Defining the Vision – Where we plan to go To prepare the vision, the HKGi team focused on defining parks and recreation’s unique role in achieving the City’s goal of being the Most Livable City in America. The recently completed parks and recreation chapter of the Saint Paul Compre-

The department’s goals are communicated in simple language and with distinct colors and memorable icon.

Through the addition of a few connecting words, they become a combination mission/vision statement for the department: Facilitating the creation of active

By Greg Ingraham and Lil Leatham, Landscape Architects and Park Planners Hoisington Koegler Group and Mike Hahm, Director - Saint Paul Parks and Recreation

lifestyles, vibrant places and a vital environment, through parks and recreation that respond creatively to change, innovate with every decision and connect the entire City. The Vision Plan consists of goals and initiatives that set the future direction for parks as recreation as well as a unique toolkit for implementing the vision. The toolkit contains a Decision Principle Checklist, Activity Delivery Guidelines, Park and Facility Standards and a User Guide. Treeline developed “Parkcards” which are a flexible means to communicate to the general public the vision and decision making pertaining to implementation or facility changes. The Vision Plan looks to establish a 21st Century park and recreation system that assures equitable access, creates higher quality facilities, promotes shared use facilities, connects the City, and makes the system more sustainable, efficient and relevant. The Vision and Plan encourages thinking system-wide when making decisions as opposed to narrow “squeaky wheel” actions, focusing on delivering recreation activities not just facilities.

Achieving the Vision - The System Plan – How we will get there The System Plan is a separate planning document and is the implementation manual to achieve the Vision Plan. It is based on an inventory and evaluation of the entire park, trail and recreation sys-

Saint Paul has a 4,124 acre park system consisting of 170 parcels ranging from large regional parks to small remnants of road right of way that none the less need to be maintained. Parks such as Como, Phalen and Great River Passage are known to most Minnesotans and the City’s community and neighborhood parks, trails, parkways, recreation centers, golf courses, open spaces, programs and events combine to create an extensive and well-loved system.

8 MINNESOTA Recreation and Parks • www.mnrpa.org

Como Park is one of the gems of Saint Paul’s +4,000 acre park system.

tem. Built into the planning process was extensive community and stakeholder input. A series of 10 open house meetings were held in locations throughout Saint Paul to gather community input on needs and to obtain feedback on the Plan recommendations. Additional stakeholder meetings, staff forums, Park and Recreation Commission meetings and web input supplemented the community meeting input. While the Vision Plan outlined overall future direction, the System Plan answers the questions; • What facilities are important for the future? • How many should there be? • Where will they be located? With answers to these questions, the park and recreation system can be transformed to be more relevant, more connected and more sustainable. The System Plan includes detailed recommendations for the system as a whole and plans for parks, recreation center buildings, trails, the Grand Rounds parkway network, natural areas, athletic fields and recreation facilities. The Plan identifies initial priority actions and information on the financial and operational benefits of the recommended transformation. Characteristics of Saint Paul’s recreation system transformation include: • Be activity oriented, not facility oriented. • Responds quickly to the community and its needs. • Provides equitable service to all sectors of the community. • Be sustainable – economically and environmentally. • Capitalize on strong partnerships. • Organize around linear elements (trails and greenways). • Recast traditional recreation centers as “community centers” that are more open, accessible and welcoming places.

and the future uncertainty surrounding them, caused concern in some neighborhoods. City staff continues to work with the neighborhoods to further define the future of some recreation center buildings.

Plan Benefits – A system wide guide The Saint Paul Parks and Recreation Vision Plan and System Plan allow the City to focus on quality over quantity. Together the plans allow the City to enhance user experience, better steward the environment, improve the health of its Engaging community input was a hallmark residents, and reduce of the planning process. operating costs. The Vision Plan goals have been adopted as the Department’s mission and vision and are a touchstone for decision-making. The System Plan is used to shape annual budgets, work plans, programs, facilities and the annual capital improvement program.

The transformation of the system is envisioned to occur over time and with the cumulative focused efforts of the City, its partners and the community. Change rarely occurs without controversy. The extensive community input helped shape the plan and identified areas where more detailed planning and outreach is needed. The recommendations for recreation center buildings will result in fewer, but higher quality, community centers and more partner facilities and is a key aspect of delivering relevant recreation activities and achieving fiscal sustainability. Understandably, these recommendations called for significant change, The Concept Plan illustrates key aspects of the System Plan recommendations.

While the opportunities and challenges in each community are unique the vision and system planning process helped answer the following key questions: • How can we assure equitable access to parks, trails and nature? • How do we meet demographic and cultural needs? • What should park infrastructure look like in the future? • How can we improve community and individual health? • How can we assure a sustainable long-term future? • How do we best provide fun, social gathering and respite? Saint Paul’s answers to these questions can be found by viewing the Saint Paul Parks and Recreation Vision Plan and System Plan at: www.stpaul.gov/parks Parkcards are a flexible tool to communicate the vision and decision-making

Spring 2012 • MINNESOTA Recreation and Parks 9

rd: reation Boa c e R d n a rk s Pa Minneapoli

Submitted by Sajai Foundation Minneapolis Park and Recreation

In the first half of 2011, hundreds of children ages 6 to 11 enrolled in the MPRB RecPlus afterschool program where they learned about healthier living through good nutrition and physical activity. This was achieved when the Park Board received the Säjai® Foundation’s Wise Kids® program via a grant from the Northwestern Mutual Foundation. This grant represented an expansion of an earlier program, which showed the strong potential for success on a larger scale. (The Minneapolis Park and Recreation Board was involved in the development of Wise Kids as well.) In total, nearly 300 kids across 11 sites (and 76 kids over 4 control sites) learned about energy balance: the concept that energy in (calories consumed through food and drinks) needs to be balanced with energy out (calories burned through daily living and physical activity). RecPlus already had a strong physical activity component, but was excited to have new activities to implement, and to have a nutritional component to add to the program.

Evaluative surveys were conducted before and after the program, and the results are more than positive. Kids in Minneapolis showed a 22% gain in basic knowledge concepts around energy balance, including how to define healthy vs. junk foods and why physical activity is important. Even more critically, the kids showed gains in behaviors and attitudes around healthy living. There was an increase in those who said they ate breakfast and/or fruits and vegetables, spent time in physical activity. There was also a decrease in time spent with TVs and video games. Perhaps most surprising is that kids like learning about health, especially the younger ones. 73% of participants liked the program, and 79% said they’d be interested in learning more. Both of those numbers are slightly higher in the 8 years and younger groups, which shows that the younger they are, the more open-minded they can be to this type of learning.

10 MINNESOTA Recreation and Parks • www.mnrpa.org

The program leaders also offered anecdotal feedback on the success of the program. “The activity where they measured fat into test tubes was the best,” said a leader from Linden Hills. “Some of the responses of the amount of fat (which we chose some of the fattiest or most popular fast food items) were: ‘gross’, ‘I’m never eating that again’, or ‘yuck, look how much fat is in this’, or ‘eeew look at this!’” A leader from Lynnhurst Park added, “The biggest success has been having the children read labels and change their eating habits. Also, now the children ask us for water and do not complain if we take a water break.” Parents were involved as well, with family newsletters taken home to keep the families up to date as to what their children were learning, and several sites offered a family night at the end to demonstrate and celebrate what the kids had learned. In fact, one parent noted: “[My son] reads ALL food labels for sugar and fat content now. He drives me nuts sometimes with it, but I love him anyway. I’m glad he is learning more about this outside of home.” These results, quantitative and anecdotal, both show what a critical role parks and recreation can play in helping kids – and their families develop healthier lifestyles. Teaching kids at a young age, and giving them tools to take home, makes an enormous difference in their futures. If you’d like to learn more about Wise Kids and the Säjai Foundation, please visit our website: www.sajaifoundation. org, or contact Amy Rea, 952-288-3364, amy@sajaifoundation.org.

73%

participantso f t he progralmiked , a nd t hey’d be in aid in learning terested m ore.

7 9% s

new

Innovations from MRPA Corporate Members

Form and Function Take Shape Landscape Structures www.playlsi.com

Legacy Pro and Sport with Leaf Blower

Add a modern twist to your playground with the new PlayBooster ® Vibe™! With its unique triangular shapes, cool textures and upbeat colors, the Vibe will make a big impact while fitting into any playground environment and budget. You can also update your existing playground with Vibe components for a fresh, new look. Learn more at playlsi.com/vibe.

Broyhill www.broyhill.com The new Legacy Pro and Sport by Broyhill is now available with an improved fiberglass resin formulation. The 3-wheel drive vehicle is a hard working/pulling unit ideal for leveling bunkers (Pro) or pulling ball field finisher units (Sport). Unit now has optional hydraulic plow lift and rear leaf blower driven by the Legacy unit’s engine. Since our leaf blower requires no dedicated engine to power blower, it saves the user this cost. Umbrella canopy now optional.

Vortex’s New State-ofthe-Art Critter Creates Splashing Success Commercial Recreation Specialists www.crs4rec.com The new Vortex Scorpion is a global hit, taking interactive play to new heights! Using state-of-theart Funflow Actuator Technology, this water play structure comes to life at the press of a button. Guests control the Scorpion from its legs, claws and tail, unleashing water in cascading waves, fan jets, interactive ground sprays and mists. Through its spray and play features, this creature creates team-oriented activity fostering social interaction, cooperation and reasoning skills. At over fifteen feet high, the Scorpion creates an impressive splash zone!

Defying Gravity Clearwater Recreation www.clearwaterrecreation.com SKYLINE Structures provide a modern play configuration and composition, challenging children to get outside and be more active than ever before. Support posts are 5” in diameter, factory drilled, and easy to install. SKYLINE designs minimize space requirements, maximizing play value, and open site lines permit ease of supervision. Over 20 new activities inspire high-intensity physical and climbing challenges. Defy gravity and scale new heights. Spring 2012 • MINNESOTA Recreation and Parks 11

Getting the Word

out

Communication Strategies in Recreation and Parks

Communicating with your residents Use Plain Language Gina Gryniewski, City of Brooklyn Park

Writing for you We at the City of Brooklyn Park are dedicated to communicating to the public using plain language that is easy to read and comprehend. We have recently introduced this concept to our employees with the hope it will strengthen our messaging process. Plain Writing Act of 2010 The Plain Writing Act of 2010 requires all federal agencies to follow the same writing guidelines. Recently Hennepin County made the commitment to follow the same guidelines and believes that plain writing should be used in all government communications, not just at the federal level. The City of Brooklyn Park also shares that same goal. Definition from Plain Writing Act (2010) Plain writing is writing that is clear, concise, well-organized and consistent with other best practices appropriate to the subject or field and intended audience. Such writing avoids jargon, redundancy, ambiguity and obscurity.

12 MINNESOTA Recreation and Parks • www.mnrpa.org

Widely accepted definition Plain language (also called Plain English) is communication your audience can understand the first time they read or hear it. With everything you publish, your audience should be able to: • Find

what they need

• Understand • Use

what they find

that information to meet their needs

According to Hennepin County, using plain language really does work. Here’s what they say: • Increased

audience satisfaction and understanding of

material • Increased

access to services and benefits

• Increased

compliance with regulations

• Decreases

costs – fewer phone calls and reduced printing and mailing costs

They also experienced some challenges: • Communicating

Below are a few examples of how messaging can be improved:

across a large organization

• Convincing

empowered programs/departments that one size fits all

• Selling

transparency

• Teaching

shades of gray

• Perceived • Applying

loss of creativity

it to other languages

Plain Language Resources Federal Plain Language information: www.plainlanguage.gov National organization dedicated to promoting plain language: www.centerforplainlanguage.org

Before - Chief Anderson answered in the affirmative that the person of interest was in possession of a firearm. After - Chief Anderson confirmed the suspect had a gun. Before - Make sure that the account holder’s name on the account is the same as the name of the customer to whose account the transaction should be attributed. After - Make sure that this account is for the right customer. Before - A person fueling a motor vehicle must be in close attendance to the dispenser nozzle during the fueling process. After - You must remain near the pump while fueling.

Hennepin County style guide, with links to plain language information: www.hennepin.us/writingguide

Every email you write should have these Five Essential Elements covered:

Essential Elements

of every email

Reprinted from Netmanners

1. The From Field Your name needs to be displayed properly. John F. Doe. Not john f doe, or john doe, j. doe or no name at all and only your email address. Proper capitalization is very important here. When your name is in all lower case you open the door to being perceived a spammer or worse yet – lacking education or tech savvy.

With every email you have the opportunity to communicate with clarity. And, with every email you also run the risk of being misunderstood or giving a less than positive impression by not paying attention to detail.

2. The Subject Line A short, sweet and well thought out Subject is crucial and in some cases can help to ensure your email gets opened. Keeping your Subject to 5-7 words that accurately identify the topic and context of your email is imperative. Feel free to modify the Subject field in ongoing conversations to reflect when the direction or topic of the conversation has changed.

Make the effort to integrate these 5 essential elements in every email you send and you will contribute to the perception that you are tech savvy, courteous and a pleasure to communicate with.

3. The Greeting Without a greeting at the beginning of your email you risk being viewed as bossy or terse. Take the time to include a Hello, or Hi and the recipient’s name. How you type your contact’s name (John, Mr. Doe, etc.) is indicative of the level of formality your email will portray. Be careful to not take the liberty of being overly informal too quickly. Let the other

side dictate the level of formality and follow their lead. After all, formality is just another form of courtesy. You can usually get an indication of how those you communicate with prefer to be addressed by how they sign-off their emails. 4. The Body Taking the time to communicate with clarity is time well spent. Complete, correctly structured and capitalized sentences that reflect proper grammar and punctuation are crucial to your message. Typing in all lower case or all caps does not lend to easy communications and gives the impression you are either lazy or illiterate. Review and spellcheck every message before clicking Send. 5. The Closing Whether it be “Thank you for your time!”, “Sincerely”, “Look forward to hearing from you!” or “Warm regards,” use what is consistent with the tone and objective of your message. By not having a proper closing you increase the possibility that your email will be perceived as demanding or curt. Without exception close by including your name to put that final considerate touch to your emails.

Spring 2012 • MINNESOTA Recreation and Parks 13

tips for a professional Powerpoint presentation

Submitted by Minnesota State University - Mankato

Complete an outline

Choose your color palette

• Too many times a presentation is created in Power Point.

• Keep backgrounds consistent and subtle. Don’t override your text.

• A little planning goes a long way – create an outline.

• Limit the number of colors per slides.

• Make sure that your outline or script follows good storytelling format, beginning, middle, and end.

• Use no more than four colors on a chart.

• Use your slides to illustrate your point. You should know what you are going to say and then visualize it.

Keep it Original • Avoid templates. Your audience has seen the majority of backgrounds out there. Create your own, it is fairly easy and will make the presentation more memorable. • Make sure you don’t copy and paste slides from other sources. • Avoid plagiarism!

Be Consistent • In font choices • In color palette • In backgrounds

Choose your fonts

• During your practice session, check how the colors appear on the screen.

Limit animation • Learn to walk the line between comic and presenter. Too many animations can overwhelm an audience. • Use animation to clarify a model. • Use of animation on bullet points will keep your audience listening to you instead of reading the slides.

Add images • Use quality images. • Images can add to a slide...but they can also distract. • Less clutter = better presentation • Use images outside of the program’s clipart...boring!

Think outside the screen

• Use the same size and type of font throughout the presentation.

• Remember, you are the presentation, the slides are an aid.

• Use dark text on light backgrounds, easiest to read.

• Eye contact is not reading your slides and glancing at your audience.

• Align text to the left or right, centered text is too hard to read. • No more than seven lines of seven words per slide. • Larger fonts are easier to read from the back of the room. 22-28 point font

KISS-Keep It Simple and Straight forward • Don’t feel compelled to fill all the “space” on the slide. • No paragraphs! If someone were to ask for your presentation, it should be worthless without a narrative script. • Look at your slides as guides. • Talk freely, don’t read your slides.

• If possible, move. Don’t get stuck behind a podium. If you present often, invest in a remote control for slide advancement.

Anoka County Parks Value of

Marketing By Bethani Gerhard, Minnesota Recreation and Park Association

Does your agency spread marketing efforts across the desks of many different employees? Does your public information have a consistent message? Anoka County Parks is one of the few agencies that actually has a marketing and media relations specialist on staff. Jennifer Fink is the marketing and visitor services manager for Anoka County Parks and Recreation and according to John VonDeLinde, director of Anoka County Parks and Recreation, she wears a number of hats in that capacity. “Most everything she manages (people, processes, and services) is directly connected to marketing in the broader sense,” states VonDeLinde. “For example, creating a quality and valued service to the customer and projecting a positive image of the parks and recreation department to our stakeholders. Stakeholders including: the recreating public, prospective customers, staff, other agencies, and elected officials.” Fink’s day-to-day job requires her to be in charge of all printed and social media, working on design, printing, news releases, website, social media, advertising, and all aspects of event and services promotion. She also supervises the customer service staff. “I cannot emphasize enough the importance of good customer service in creating repeat customers, as well as those that are direct referrals from previous customers,” says Fink. “We have done minimal advertising of some of our facilities, but yet, due to referrals, we exceeded our revenue budget by 110% last year.”

• Dress for your presentation, be professional.

Practice. Practice. Practice. • Review your presentation. With practice you will only need to glance at your slides. • Practice several times to get the timing down. • Practice your presentation on at least two different computers to work the bugs out. • Check for spelling and grammar errors.

14 MINNESOTA Recreation and Parks • www.mnrpa.org

I think that people underestimate the value of having someone on staff whose job it is to bird dog the brand and the message.

The bottom line is that we’d be in the communication ‘stone age’ without this position < Anoka

County Parks Website

Emerging Trends:

Fink says, “I think that people underestimate the value of having someone on staff whose job it is to bird dog the brand and the message. It takes a certain skill set to write things in a way that reporters and customers need to see in order to be convinced to participate or buy your product.” Fink is the one that contacts their public information manager, Martha Weaver, for anything that requires a news conference. Fink has weekly contact with reporters and her staff is instructed to not speak with the media, unless they have talked with either Martha or herself. “It gives us a chance to plan who should be talking, making sure that we are meeting the requests and deadlines of the reporters,” states Fink, “and that we are managing the department and county’s message.” Agencies have to have someone who has experience in social media if they are going to participate in it, according to Fink. “Mismanaged social media is 10 times worse than no social media,” she adds. “The potential for disaster is much worse.” Anoka County has really been able to accelerate their quality of service, according to VonDeLinde who gives examples of emerging trends, quality, media relations and services.

Quality: As an example, the quality of our brochures, maps, flyers and other printed media has improved tremendously. Not only from the standpoint of attractiveness and readability, but in being consistent in how we communicate and what the message is. All outgoing public information is reviewed by Jennifer to ensure that the message relates back to our mission, values, themes, and (yes) any political sensitivities. Some things we have stopped doing entirely, other pieces we have reengineered. The quality of how we communicate has positively affected everyone in the department.

Media Relations: Having a dedicated point person for media relations is a huge advantage to Jennifer’s position. She has developed a remarkable base of contacts with local media, regional media, TV, radio, and social media outlets. She also has established a great working relationship with the county’s Public Information Office at the

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VonDeLinde adds that prior to Fink joining Anoka County’s staff, their marketing and promotion efforts were divided across many work units within the department. “This led to a lack of common mission and purpose, disjointed marketing and advertising efforts, lack of a central “brand” and a failure to take a contemporary approach to marketing, advertising and visitor services,” he states.

Having a professional marketing position has allowed us to stay on the forefront of emerging trends, like social media. I think our department was one of the forerunners with Twitter, Facebook, Constant Contact, and Groupon. These are now probably considered old ideas, but we rest assured that Jennifer is already pursuing the latest trends in social media. Having an “expert” allows us to use best practices and to not cling to old ideas about communication.

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Government Center. With that network of personal contacts, we have been able to capitalize on far more frequent and meaningful ways of getting the word out to the public about our parks and facilities, and stories of interest about projects and services. Just today, I met with a Star Trib reporter who was excited to see one of our new parks, thanks to Jennifer’s contact with her.

Services: Marketing is more than just advertising. Jennifer reminds us of this daily. It’s about image, brand, quality and cleanliness of facilities, appearance and approachability of staff and so forth. Her job is more than just working in the front office, but helping the department to constantly evaluate and implement positive change to make our facilities and services friendlier to the public. She is a central part of our core leadership team, management team, and is routinely involved in park planning and facility design processes. Just recently, she went through a “train the trainer” program on Kaizen principles to bring about more efficient service delivery to the public. VonDeLindes adds, “I could mention many other things, like the Bunker Prairie Fest, 96.3 Big Time Rush Event at Bunker Beach, and the Hands On Twin Cities Volunteer Event, all made possible by the initiative and community connectedness of a marketing and communications dedicated position. The bottom line is that we’d be in the communication ‘stone age’ without this position.”

Spring 2012 • MINNESOTA Recreation and Parks 15

There’s three sides to every story. (At outdoor family gatherings.)

Social Media

Save Time and Share Ideas By Bethani Gerhard Minnesota Recreation and Park Association

Have you heard of HootSuite, Pinterest or SlideShare? These rapidly growing websites help users save time and share ideas in an efficient way and even link to other social media websites. HootSuite was launched in December, 2008 by Invoke Media. Their growing user-base includes artists, organizations, businesses, and even local and state governments. HootSuite allows users to connect to multiple social networks from one website, according to their website help desk page. HootSuite helps organizations use the social web to launch marketing campaigns, identify and grow audiences and distribute targeted messages across multiple channels. The HootSuite dashboard can be designed and customized for the individual’s needs. Using HootSuite’s unique social media dashboard, teams can collaboratively schedule updates to Twitter, Facebook, Linkedin, Wordpress and other social networks via web, desktop or mobile platforms. This website also tracks campaign results, industry trends and adjusts tactics. Users tend to enjoy the website’s capability of centralizing all their information.

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Another popular website is Pinterest. One of Pinterest’s greatest appeals is its simplicity, according to Time Techland. It’s easy to use and easy for people to find and follow other users’ boards. Pinterest is comparable to a digital arts bulletin board because users install a bookmark in browsers, making it easy to pin almost anything on the web. Pinte

rest In 2011, Pinterest jumped from 1.68 million visitors in October to more than seven million visitors in December. Time Techland states that users range from 20-somethings displaying fashion trends to companies hoping to generate new business in order to drive more traffic to their site. The tip is to be sure to make the content compelling and transform casual visitors to loyal subscribers.

Another website that has generated buzz is SlideShare. It is a website that allows you to get the word out about your product or service by sharing presentations. This site also supports documents, PDFs, videos and webinars. Anyone can view presentations, download and reuse them for their own work. This website has over 60 million monthly users, who view 130 million pages on the site making it amongst the most visited 200 websites in the world, according to MarketingProfs. The key to getting slides viewed is to use photos, screenshots in addition to using simple, bulleted items to get your point across.

www.knappertables.com Call for a free estimate: 1-855-372-2668 16 MINNESOTA Recreation and Parks • www.mnrpa.org

SlideShare features a professional and educational community that regularly comments and downloads content. SlideShare content spreads virally through blogs and social networks such as LinkedIn, Facebook and Twitter. Individuals and organizations upload documents to SlideShare to share ideas, conduct research, connect with others, and generate leads for their businesses. Anyone can view presentations and documents on topics that interest them.

Interviewing via Skype is Gaining Popularity By Alyssa Krumholz and Regina Michaud, Plymouth Parks and Recreation

Both potential employees and the employer save time and money by conducting their out-of-town interviews via Skype. Plymouth Parks and Recreation went through the Skype interviewing process in order to find a qualified candidate for their recreation supervisor position in 2011. Regina Michaud, recreation manager, and Alyssa Krumholz, recreation supervisor (health and fitness emphasis) for Plymouth Parks and Recreation, share their Skype experience.

Was this your first Skype interview? Regina: Yes, it was the first time I personally used Skype to conduct interviews. As well, it was the first time a department within our City’s organization used Skype to conduct an interview. Alyssa’s interview was actually the second Skype interview of two Skype interviews that we conducted for that position. Alyssa: Yes, all of my previous interviews for positions were either via phone or in-person.

How did you prepare for your Skype interview? Regina: Preparation was very similar to the regular interviews. We contacted Alyssa to set up the date and time for the interview. Interview questions were the same as those used for the other candidates. However, for the Skype interviews we did have to set up a Skype account for our organization and then exchange usernames with Alyssa in order to connect for the interview via Skype. Another modification we made was to designate two of the interview panel members (we had six individuals on the panel) to communicate and ask questions via Skype. That way Alyssa could always see the person asking the question without us having to rotate seats or pass the computer around. Although not planned, conducting two Skype

interviews proved to be beneficial as it gave us an additional reference/comparison to use in the consideration of candidates. Alyssa: I went online and researched information for video and online interviews. This helped give a better idea on what preparation should be done prior to starting the interview. In preparation for the interview, I planned on ensuring a clean and appropriate image for my clothing options and surroundings. I prepared my outfit just as I would if the interview were held in-person. When you are doing the Skype interview I also found it very important to eliminate noise distractions and visual distractions (large posters / hanging wall art etc). You want to make sure during the Skype interview that you are sitting with a blank wall behind you so the interviewers are able to direct all of their focus to you.

Where did the Skype interview take place? Regina: We conducted the interview from a conference room within City Hall that was equipped with phone, computer and AV capabilities. That way we had a phone backup if things went badly with Skype. The AV was used to put what was showing on the computer screen up on a big screen so that all interview panel members could comfortably view the interview. Alyssa: It took place at my house. This helped to hold it at my home because I could easily control and eliminate any distractions which may have affected the interview.

Did you have an IT/trouble-shooting checklist before the interview started? Regina: Better yet, we had interview panel members familiar with Skype and IT personnel standing by to assist if we ran into any major technical difficulty. If we had not had that kind of support, we would have conducted a couple of Skype ‘practice runs’ internally before conducting the official interviews.

Alyssa: I had received the information from Plymouth Parks and Recreation to have an account available, and their username for the interview. This provided me with a sufficient amount of IT/ trouble-shooting information before the interview started.

Did you read any Skype tips before the interview? Regina: We already had individuals familiar with Skype so we didn’t have to read up on the subject – they shared their knowledge of Skype. Alyssa: I had already had a Skype account set up prior to the interview, but I did review the set-up process and how to connect with new account members.

Would you recommend this option to other parks and recreation agencies? Regina: I would recommend it as an option for initial interviews. It is a better interview tool than the phone as it provides facial expression and body language communication as well as verbal communication. It also provides a wider applicant/interview pool without any of the associated travel expenses for either party that may prove prohibitive. So far, we have only used Skype for initial interviews. Personally, I would not be comfortable using it for a single or final interview. While it is much better than a phone interview, it does not provide the interaction and depth that a face-toface interview provides. Alyssa: Yes, I would recommend this option to other agencies. Not only is this interview method very costefficient, it provided a comfortable atmosphere and gave me more of an advantage to display my personality through visual cues. With previous interviews where the only method was through phone, those visual cues are lost during the interview process and can really place the interviewee at a disadvantage in “selling” themselves as a viable candidate for the position.

Spring 2012 • MINNESOTA Recreation and Parks 17

Putting the Brand to Work in Elk River By Michael Hecker, CPRP – Elk River Parks and Recreation Directo r

This is the creative interpretation that symbolizes the new brand for the City of Elk River. Powered By Nature is a symbol of Elk River’s identity as a community driven by the power of the outdoors, as well as the friendly nature of the people of Elk River. This is the brand which sums up the major characteristics of our community - small, friendly, outdoorsy and well located.

A community’s reputation will be defined by its government, its businesses, its organizations and its residents – or, it will be defined by others. When community leadership makes the choice to define itself, it takes a step toward protecting its identity and building, managing and sustaining its reputation. The City of Elk River has been working on its identity the past year and recently developed the following brand promise to define itself: “For people who want to breathe the outdoors, yet want access to big city amenities, Elk River is an emerging small city where the Elk and Mississippi Rivers flow together on the fringe of the Twin Cities and where the heart is powered by nature so you are energized and inspired to make a difference.”

City of Elk River’s website

The branding process all started in December of 2010, when the Elk River Economic Development Authority (EDA) authorized staff to begin the branding and marketing initiatives. The City hired a consultant, formed a branding subcommittee comprised of community members and staff, and the building of the brand began to work. The consultants assisted in the confirmation of an Elk River brand. City departments, community organizations, businesses and residents have now all started singing the same tune.

The City has started incorporating the brand into marketing materials by using business cards, letterhead, meeting agendas and City newsletters as platforms to spread the brand.

The branding process was able to bring everyone together to build our identity and describe our values. The branding process also includes a plan to guide staff how to best utilize existing resources more effectively to create a harmonious voice for the community. The City has started incorporating the brand into marketing materials by using business cards, letterhead, meeting agendas and City newsletters as platforms to spread the brand. The Elk River Parks and Recreation Department has taken advantage of the branding initiatives by creating core values, vision and a mission. All of our staff has been meeting regularly the last few months in a strategic planning process that provides the framework within which Department actions and strategies will be formulated. It has been enjoyable to also engage our Parks and Recreation Commission and the Mayor in this strategic planning. Our Department vision and mission will be coming out soon. Check it out on our City website: www.erpr.org.

For more stories about how people feel Elk River is “Powered by Nature” see the blog at poweredbynature.blog.com

18 MINNESOTA Recreation and Parks • www.mnrpa.org

Spring 2012 • MINNESOTA Recreation and Parks 19

MRPA

Awards Ceremony By Bethani Gerhard, Minnesota Recreation and Park Association

Minnesota Recreation and Park Association held its annual professional awards ceremony on January 12, 2012 at Edinburgh USA. MRPA recognizes members and agencies that have made outstanding contributions to parks and recreation. MRPA extends a special thank you to Landscape Structures, Inc. for their generous support of the awards program and to Brooklyn Park Recreation and Parks for hosting the event. The Clifton E. French Distinguished Service Award is MRPA’s award of highest distinction. The 2011 recipient for this award was Donna Tilsner, Edina Park and Recreation (see article for more information). The Jack Niles Award is presented to a male professional member with 10-plus years of outstanding service to the parks and recreation profession and to MRPA. The 2010 recipient was Jerry Ruegemer, Chanhassen Parks and Recreation. Jennifer Fink, Anoka County Parks and Recreation, received the Horizon Award, given to a professional member of MRPA with eight years or less of professional experience. In order to receive this award, the MRPA member must be an “up and coming” professional and an active contributor to MRPA with great leadership skills.

20 MINNESOTA Recreation and Parks • www.mnrpa.org

Bemidji Parks and Recreation was presented with the Tommy Johnson Award for their park. The MRPA Awards Committee selected one “Award of Excellence” project to receive this award for best exemplifying the values that Tommy Johnson was known for; innovation, futuristic, revolutionary and/or creative with ideas and initiatives that helped establish future trends, philosophical change, sharing of new resources and new exciting concepts.

< PHOTO (Left to right) Tommy Johnson Award Bemidji Parks and Recreation (Marcia Larson accepted award) Horizon Award Jennifer Fink, Anoka County Parks Clifton E. French Award Donna Tilsner, Edina Park and Recreation

The Board and Commission Award, given to a member of a citizen’s advisory or policymaking board in the parks and recreation profession, was presented to Melody Shryock with the City of Ramsey. Denny McNamara and Dean Urdahl, Minnesota House, received the Legislative Award. This award recognizes legislators for “outstanding contributions at the state or federal level on behalf of Parks and Recreation. Again, congratulations to all the MRPA professional award recipients. We look forward to the next Annual General Meeting and Awards Luncheon in January of 2013.

Donna Tilsner – MRPA Clifton E. French Award Recipient for 2011 The Clifton E. French Distinguished Service Award recipient for 2011 was Donna Tilsner with Edina Park and Recreation. This award is the highest distinction presented to a person who has provided long and outstanding service to MRPA and the parks and recreation profession. “Clif French was a wonderful professional,” states Tilsner. “What he did over the span of his work career is great. I also look at the professionals who have been honored with this award and I am honored to be in the same category.” According to Tilsner, the Clifton E. French Distinguished Service Award is a tribute to great mentors along the way who have supported MRPA and encouraged her to stay active. “I have worked with some great co-workers and feel fortunate that employers have supported my involvement with MRPA,” she states.

Jack Niles Award Jerry Ruegemer, Chanhassen Parks and Recreation

grams and special events. She considers each process to be unique. Tilsner has also spent a lot of time with Women in Leisure Services (WILS), both on the chapter level and the national level. She considers it to have been a great experience. “I have given my time and talents and have gotten back much more than I have given,” she states. “I am very proud of our profession and we all need to work to keep recreation front and center.” Tilsner has also really enjoyed the opportunity to work at the University of Minnesota teaching a class in programming. “To share what and why we do what we do and help develop the next generation of workers is very rewarding,” she states. Tilsner has made an impact on MRPA throughout the years. She has been on many committees, sections, and ad-hoc committees over her tenure. “I have learned so much from my peers and I’m happy to share my time and talents with MRPA to keep our profession moving forward,” she says. “I feel it is so important for everyone to volunteer and why not MRPA? We have a great history and I hope we can all work to keep that vibrant. You won’t be sorry you get involved.”

Clif French was a wonderful professional. What he did over the span of his work career is great. I also look at the professionals who have been honored with this award and I am honored to be in the same category.

Congratulations to Donna Tilsner for receiving this distinguished award, and for all her years of service to MRPA and the parks and recreation profession.

Tilsner has been a part of many great projects over the years, from building projects to pro-

Spring 2012 • MINNESOTA Recreation and Parks 21

Minneapolis Northwest Helps Expand Programming & Outreach OUTREACH EXPANSION GRANT DOLLARS FREE SERVICES

It seems that, over the past few years, meeting and event planners have had to bring an imaginative approach – almost magician like – to planning a meeting/event. The economic downturn created a need for this approach, and brought about the opportunity for planners to look at “unique” or non-traditional venues for events they plan. The roadblock for some planners may have been – during this time – finding the “ideal” venue, which would, hopefully, maximize the planner’s budget and make the event a complete success. How is it possible for the planner to research multiple venues without making several calls? How is it possible to receive FREE assistance for marketing and promoting your event, and other items such as event registration and welcome bags? How is it possible to create an extremely successful event without going over budget? The answer to all of these is to work with your local Convention and Visitors Bureau. First off; the Minneapolis Northwest Convention and Visitors Bureau

represents the cities of Brooklyn Center, Brooklyn Park and Maple Grove. As a non-profit organization, whose main source of revenue is derived through a local hotel sales tax, strives to enhance economic impact in the area through tourism, sports and meetings. Our bureau’s goal is to find the ideal opportunity for event planners looking at hosting an event in our area. We see a value and need to work closely with the venues in our area which may be classified to event planners as “outside-the-box”. These venues can vary in many different factors, including: community centers, parks and recreation facilities, golf courses, restaurants, theatres, etc. Our bureau will serve as a “matchmaker” to expose planners to the facilities/venues within the area who are looking at hosting an event. As an added bonus, the bureau has the ability to evaluate programming and assist with development programs which would appeal to a broader audience with the Grant Dollars which we provide.

22 MINNESOTA Recreation and Parks • www.mnrpa.org

As previously mentioned; one of the amazing things about working with an organization like Minneapolis Northwest Convention and Visitors Bureau is that all of the services we provide are FREE. We strive to help the venue and planner have everything they need at their disposal to create the perfect event. Outreach, expansion, grant dollars and free services from Minneapolis Northwest Convention and Visitors Bureau equal successful programming and exposure. Contact Minneapolis Northwest Convention and Visitors Bureau at 763.566.7722 or meetings@mplsnw.com for more information on how to work with us!

For promotions and information please scan code, or go to: www.mnwevents.com.

When it comes to meeting and event spaces, Minnesota cities and counties know how to take care of business. By Todd Pernsteiner, Pernsteiner

Just last week I met with an association manager to discuss collaborating on some design projects and the conversation turned to discussing her organization’s space needs for some upcoming continuing education seminars. She mentioned they’re need for meeting spaces that are affordable for smaller functions. I asked if they’ve considered a community park or recreation facility; she hadn’t but is now considering it and appreciated the suggestion. The variety of rental spaces in Minnesota cities and counties are pretty remarkable – spaces such as amphitheaters, performance halls, nature centers, hightech meeting rooms, outdoor spaces and aquatic parks. Most often, these spaces have been traditionally used for family gatherings and weddings, but more and more they’re opening their doors to associations and companies looking for alternative meeting spaces. Many community facilities offer unique amenities not found elsewhere. Vadnais Heights Commons has a large stone fireplace, 28-foot ceilings, indoor/outdoor space and skylights. Also impressive is their facility’s complimentary technology included with the rental fee – a built-in sound system with iPod capabilities, microphone, projection system and Internet access. Another major advantage of park and recreation facilities is they’re typically more affordable than corporate facilities - with zero or minimal catering requirements. “What sets us apart from other

venues is that we have an open catering policy. We allow customers to bring in their own food or use any caterer of their choice,” said Jessica Riley, assistant community center manager at the City of Shoreview. “Also, with any event or meeting, any audio/visual needs are included in the room rentals and there is staff onsite for the entire rental to help with anything.”

to host special events and meetings. Community sites are especially great for out-of-the-box fundraising or charitable events. Vadnais Heights Commons recently hosted “Knockout Hunger,” a boxing and comedy event benefiting the city’s food shelf program. Facilities like Vadnais Heights Commons are easily adaptable to the event itself – the Commons has a full on-site event staff that help make events run smoothly. For a third year, Minnesota Recreation and Park Association is providing this meeting and event planner guide to aid in choosing meeting spaces in Minnesota communities. Save and use this information as part of your event planning toolkit for your next event or meeting. Feel free to contact any of the facilities listed in this guide, they will be happy to provide you a space especially suited to your requirements.

Minnesota communities are partnering with their local convention bureaus and chambers of commerce to promote their space rentals. St. Louis Park’s new CVB, Discover St. Louis Park, is one group that knows how to promote their community facilities that cater to the meeting, event and sports markets. “Our city’s facilities appeal to someone looking for a memorable meeting or event space,” said John Basill, president of Discover St. Louis Park. “Suburban community meeting facilities offer green spaces that help energize and recharge meeting attendees.”

Vadnais Heights Commons

Park and recreation facility managers are always open to new and unique ways

Spring 2012 • MINNESOTA Recreation and Parks 23

Cocktail Reception Capacity

Alcohol Permitted

On-Site AV Rental

On-Site Maintenance

Pool/Waterpark Rental

Outdoor Space Rental

Amphitheater Rental

Indoor Theater Capacity

Meeting Capacity (theater style)

Yes No Yes Yes Yes

4 1 1+ 1 2

240 45 50 50 75

130 45 50 50 90

240 45 50 50 96

No No No No No

Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes

No No No No No

Yes No No No No

No No No No Yes 300

Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes

No No No No No

No No

Yes

160

310

224

Yes

No No Yes Yes No No Yes

Yes No Yes Yes No No No No Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes

5 8 5 6 2 4 6

50 366 366 75 175 175 240 400 300 170 450 400 60 1,000 500 180 200 200 100 230 230

Yes No Yes Yes Yes No Yes

Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes No Yes

No No No No No No Yes 251

Yes No Yes No Yes Yes Yes

Yes No No No Yes No No

Yes No No No No No Yes

366

240

Yes

594

Yes

594

No No No No No No

Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes

No Yes Yes Yes Yes No

1 3 1 1 1 1

40 100 50 50 160 50

40 100 50 50 200 75

No Yes 100 No No No No

Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes

No Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes

No No Yes Yes Yes Yes

No Yes 986 No No No No

Yes No Yes Yes Yes No

No No No No No No

Yes

No No Yes No No No No No No

Yes No Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes

No No No No Yes No Yes No No

2 8 7 1 2 2 7 3 6

75 240 90 75 100 120 225 56 360

125 400 100 75 200 120 450 160 1,100

25 400 60 50 200 75 550 200 500

Yes 100 Yes 100+ No No No No Yes No Yes 80

Yes Yes No Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes

No Yes Yes No Yes No Yes Yes Yes

No No Yes No No Yes Yes Yes Yes

Yes 2,000 No Yes 268 No No No No No No No

No Yes Yes Yes No Yes Yes Yes No

No Yes Yes no No Yes No No No

No No No No No No Yes No No

Yes

150

600

Yes

500

Yes

No Yes

Yes No

3 12

150 160

250 300

100 256

No Yes 70

Yes Yes

No Yes 300

Yes Yes

No Yes

Yes

Yes No No

No No No No

Yes Yes Yes Yes

Yes No No Yes

8 1 1 4

180 32 70 200

300 240 64 64 90 350 300

Yes 46 No Yes 120 Yes 120

Yes Yes Yes Yes

Yes No Yes Yes

No No No No

No Yes No No

No No No No

No No No Yes

Shoreview Community Center - Tropics Indoor Waterpark

Rochester Plummer House

24 MINNESOTA Recreation and Parks • www.mnrpa.org

No Yes 12-15 Yes 40 No Yes 120 No No

1,000

St. Croix Bluff Regional Park

Indoor Theater Rental

Meeting Capacity (classroom style)

Pool/Waterpark Capacity

Meeting Rooms

Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes

Booth Capacity

Kitchen Rental

No No No No Yes

Convention Hall

Open Catering

Anoka County - Activity Center Anoka County - Campground Visitors Center Anoka County - Riedel Estate Anoka County - Rum River North Building Apple Valley Apple Valley - Hayes Community and Senior Center Bloomington Civic Plaza Bloomington - Creekside Community Center Brooklyn Park Community Activity Center Brooklyn Park - Edinburgh USA Buffalo Chanhassen Recreation Center Chaska Community Center Cloquet Community Education and Recreation Coon Rapids Dam Visitors Center Crystal Community Center Dakota County Parks - Camp Sacajawea Lodge Dakota County Parks - Camp Spring Lodge Dakota County Parks - Dakota Lodge Dakota County Parks - Discovery Room Dakota County Parks - Schaar’s Bluff Gathering Center Eagan Civic Arena Eagan Community Center Eden Prairie Community Center Edina - Arneson Acres Park Edina - Braemar Golf Course Edina - Centennial Lakes Park Glencoe City Center Golden Valley Park & Recreation Dept. Hutchinson Event Center Inver Grove Heights - Veterarans Memorial Community Center Lakeville Area Arts Center Maple Grove Community Center New Brighton - Brightwood Hills Golf Course New Brighton Community Center New Brighton Neighborhood Center New Ulm Civic Center New Ulm Community Center

On-Site Catering

Minnesota Park and Recreation Space Rental Guide

No 580

300

350

Chaska Pool & Waterpark

Pool/Waterpark Rental

Outdoor Space Rental

Amphitheater Rental

Indoor Theater Rental

Yes No Yes No No Yes No

Yes No Yes Yes Yes Yes No

Yes 368 No No Yes 700 No No No

No No No Yes No Yes Yes

No Yes No No No No Yes

No No No No No Yes No

Yes

100

Yes

No No Yes No No Yes No No Yes No No No No No

Yes Yes No Yes Yes No Yes Yes No Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes

No 1 200 500 375 No Yes Yes 5 75 100 130 Yes 40 No No 1 80 80 80 No Yes No 2 50 50 2,000 Yes 200+ Yes Yes 1 80 80 80 No Yes No 1 60 60 60 No Yes Yes 14 50 50 100 Yes 15 Yes Yes 3 40 40 No Yes No 1 100 100 100 No Yes No 1 80 300 110 No Yes Yes 1 300 300 300 No Yes No 1 192 200 200 No Yes Yes 10,000 No 1,000 1,000 Yes

Yes Yes No No No No No No No Yes Yes Yes Yes No

Yes No Yes No Yes No Yes No Yes No Yes No No No Yes Yes 525 Yes Yes 1,000 Yes No Yes No Yes No Yes No No

Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes No Yes No Yes No Yes Yes

No No Yes No Yes Yes No No No No Yes No Yes No

No No No No No No No No No No Yes No

Yes

155

Yes

No No

Yes Yes

Yes No

3 2

280 96

350 200

280 160

Yes 25 No

Yes Yes

Yes Yes Yes

No No Yes 1,200+ Yes

No Yes

Yes

Yes No No

No No No No No No

No Yes Yes Yes No No

Yes Yes Yes Yes No Yes

1 4 3 4 27 4-5

100 45 120 325 320 350

No No Yes 4 Yes 75 No Yes 40

No Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes

No Yes No Yes Yes Yes

No Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes

No Yes 350 No No No No

Yes Yes No Yes Yes Yes

No No No Yes Yes No

No No No No No No

Yes

250

Yes

No No No Yes No

No Yes Yes Yes Yes

No Yes 2 200 200 200 Yes 20 Yes 2 25 25 25 No Yes 5 150 200 300+ No Yes 1 75 140 150 No

No Yes Yes Yes Yes

No No No Yes Yes

No Yes Yes Yes Yes

Yes 575 No No No No

Yes No Yes Yes No

No No No Yes No

150

100 100 60 300 120 120 450 400+ 400 320 900 100 75

Braemar Golf Course

Indoor Theater Capacity

On-Site Maintenance

Pool/Waterpark Capacity

On-Site AV Rental

No 100 Yes No Yes 300+ Yes No Yes No Yes No Yes No Yes

Alcohol Permitted

70 90 90 81 275 150 250 2,000 225 225 225 160 160 100 350 400 400 60 60 60

Booth Capacity

3 1 2 11 5 8 1

Convention Hall

No No No Yes Yes No Yes

Cocktail Reception Capacity

Meeting Rooms

Yes Call Yes Yes Yes No Yes

Meeting Capacity (theater style)

Kitchen Rental

No Call No No No Yes No

Meeting Capacity (classroom style)

Open Catering

New Ulm Recreation Center Oakdale Discovery Center Owatonna - Four Seasons Center Owatonna - Parks / River Springs Water Park Owatonna - Senior Center Plymouth Creek Center Prior Lake Ramsey County - Keller Golf Course Clubhouse Redwood Area Community Center Richfield Community Center Rochester - Eastwood Golf Course Rochester - Graham Arean Complex Rochester - Hadley Creek Golf Learning Center Rochester - Northern Hills Golf Course Rochester - Plummer House Rochester - Recreation Center Rochester - Soldiers Field Golf Course Rogers Activity Center Rosemount Community Center Rosemount Steeple Center Roseville - Frank Rog Amphitheatre Roseville - Muriel Sahlin Arboretum Roseville Parks and Recreation - Nature Center Roseville Skating Center St. Louis Park - The Rec Center Saint Paul - Como Historic Streetcar Station Saint Paul - Newell Building Shoreview Community Center Stearns County Parks Thief River Falls Parks & Recreation Three Rivers Park District Vadnais Heights Commons Waconia - Safari Island Community Center Waseca Water Park Washington County Historic Courthouse Washington County Parks Woodbury - Central Park Woodbury - Eagle Valley Golf Course

On-Site Catering

Minnesota Park and Recreation Space Rental Guide

130 80

350

200

Oakdale Discovery Center

Spring 2012 â&#x20AC;˘ MINNESOTA Recreation and Parks 25

Minnesota Park and Recreation Rental Directory

New Ulm Recreation Center

Washington County Historic Courthouse

Edinburgh USA

Minnesota Park & Recreation Rental Directory Anoka County Parks and Recreation 550 Bunker Lake Road NW Andover, MN 55304 Phone: 763-757-3920 Fax: 763-755-0230 Web: www.anokacountyparks.com/ facilities

Apple Valley - Hayes Community and Senior Center 7100 147th Street West Apple Valley, MN 55124 Phone: 952-953-2345 Fax: 952-953-2339 Web: www.ci.apple-valley.mn.us

Anoka County Parks - Activity Center 550 Bunker Lane Blvd NW Andover, MN 55304 Phone: 763-757-3920 Fax: 763-755-0230 Web: www.anokacountyparks.com

Bloomington - Civic Plaza 1800 West Old Shakopee Road Bloomington, MN 55431 Phone: 952-563-8877 Fax: 952-563-8715 Web: www.ci.bloomington.mn.us

Anoka County Parks - Campground Visitors Center 550 Bunker Lane Blvd NW Andover, MN 55304 Phone: 763-757-3920 Fax: 763-755-0230 Web: www.anokacountyparks.com

Bloomington - Creekside Community Center 9801 Penn Avenue South Bloomington, MN 55431 Phone: 952-563-4944 Fax: 952-563-4945 Web: www.ci.bloomington.mn.us

Anoka County Parks - Riedel Estate 5100 East River Road Fridley, MN 55432 Phone: 763-757-3920 Fax: 763-755-0230 Web: www.anokacountyparks.com/ facilities/riedel_farm.htm

Brooklyn Park Community Activity Center 5600 85th Avenue North Brooklyn Park, MN 55443 Phone: 763-493-8333 Fax: 763-493-8253 Web: www.brooklynpark.org/weddings

Anoka County Parks - Rum River North Building 23100 Rum River Blvd. NW St. Francis, MN 55304 Phone: 763-757-3920 Fax: 763-755-0230 Web: www.anokacountyparks.com Apple Valley 7100 147th Street West Apple Valley, MN 55124 Phone: 952-953-2300 Fax: 952-953-2306 Web: www.cityofapplevalley.org

26 MINNESOTA Recreation and Parks â&#x20AC;˘ www.mnrpa.org

Brooklyn Park - Edinburgh USA 8700 Edinbrook Crossing Brooklyn Park, MN 55443 763-315-8516 Fax: 763-315-8540 www.lancercatering.com Buffalo 212 Central Avenue Buffalo, MN 55313 Phone: 763-682-4132 Fax: 763-684-5471 Web: www.ci.buffalo.mn.us Chanhassen Recreation Center 2310 Coulter Boulevard Chanhassen, MN 55317 Phone: 952-227-1400 Fax: 952-227-1404 Web: www.ci.chanhassen.mn.us

Chaska Community Center 1661 Park Ridge Drive Chaska, MN 55318 Phone: 952-448-5633 Fax: 952-448-5426 Web: www.chaskacommunitycenter.com Cloquet Community Education and Recreation 509 Carlton Avenue Cloquet, MN 55720 Phone: 218-879-1261 Fax: 218-878-3013 Web: www.cloquetcommunityed.com Coon Rapids Dam Visitors Center 9750 Egret Boulevard Coon Rapids, MN 55433 Phone: 763-757-3920 Fax: 763-755-0230 Web: www.anokacountyparks.com Crystal Community Center 4800 Douglas Drive North Crystal, MN 55429 Phone: 763-531-1174 Fax: 763-531-0949 Web: www.ci.crystal.mn.us Dakota County Parks 14955 Galaxie Avenue Apple Valley, MN 55124 Phone: 952-891-7996 Web: www.dakotacounty.us/parks Dakota County Parks - Dakota Lodge 1200 Stassen Lane West St. Paul, MN 55118 Phone: 952-891-7000 Web: www.dakotacounty.us/parks Dakota County Parks - Discovery Room 860 Cliff Road Eagan, MN 55123 Phone: 952-891-7000 Web: www.dakotacounty.us/parks

Vadnais Heights Commons

Glencoe City Center

Minnesota Park & Recreation Rental Directory Dakota County Parks Camp Sacajawea Lodge 5121 McAndrews Road Apple Valley MN 55124 Phone: 952-891-7000 Web: www.dakotacounty.us/parks

Edina - Braemar Golf Course 6364 John Harris Drive Edina, MN 55439 Phone: 952-903-5765 Fax: 952-903-5751 Web: www.braemargolf.com

Lakeville Area Arts Center 20195 Holyoke Avenue Lakeville, MN 55044 Phone: 952.985.4640 Fax: 985.985.4649 Web: www.lakevillemn.gov

Dakota County Parks Camp Spring Lake Lodge 13690 Pine Bend Trail Rosemount, MN 55068 Phone: 952-891-7000 Web: www.dakotacounty.us/parks

Edina - Centennial Lakes Park 7499 France Avenue Edina, MN 55435 Phone: 952-833-9583 Fax: 952-833-9581 Web: CentennialLakesPark.com

Maple Grove Community Center 12951 Weaver Lake Road Maple Grove, MN 55369 Phone: 763-494-6527 Fax: 763-494-6454 Web: www.maplegrovecommunitycenter.org

Dakota County Parks - Schaar’s Bluff Gathering Center 8395 127th Street East Hastings, MN 55033 Phone: 952-891-7000 Web: www.dakotacounty.us/parks

Glencoe City Center 107 11th Street East Glencoe, MN 55336 Phone: 320-864-6951 Fax: 320-864-6405 Web: www.glencoemn.org

Eagan Civic Arena 3830 Pilot Knob Road Eagan, MN 55122 Phone: 651-675-5592 Fax: 651-675-5595 Web: www.eagancivicarena.com

Golden Valley Park & Recreation Department 200 Brookview Parkway South Golden Valley, MN 55426 Phone: 763-2367 Fax: 763-512-2344 Web: www.goldenvalleymn.gov

New Brighton - Brightwood Hills Golf Course 1975 Silver Lake Road New Brighton, MN 55112 Phone: 651-638-2150 Fax: 651-638-2135 Web: www.newbrightonmn.gov

Eagan Community Center 1501 Central Parkway Eagan, MN 55123 Phone: 651-675-5558 Fax: 651-675-5565 Web: www.eagancommunitycenter.com Eden Prairie Community Center 16700 Valley View Road Eden Prairie, MN 55344 Phone: 952-949-8333 Fax: 952-949-8492 Web: www.edenprairie.org Edina - Arneson Acres Park 4801 West 50th Street Edina, MN 55424 Phone: 952-826-0437 Fax: 952-826-0385 Web: www.cityofedina.com

Hutchinson Event Center 1005 Hwy 15 South Hutchinson, MN 55350 Phone: 320.234.5659 Fax: 320.234.5655 Web: www.hutchinsoneventcenter.com Inver Grove Heights Parks and Recreation Department - Veterans Memorial Community Center 8055 Barbara Avenue Inver Grove Heights, MN 55077 Phone: 651-450-2580 Fax: 651-450-2490 Web: www.invergroveheights.org

Minnesota Park and Recreation Rental Directory

Rochester Graham Arena Complex

New Brighton Community Center 400 10th Street NW New Brighton, MN 55112 Phone: 651-638-2138 Fax: 651-638-2135 Web: www.newbrightonmn.gov New Brighton Neighborhood Centers 400 10th Street NW New Brighton, MN 55112 Phone: 651-638-2138 Fax: 651-638-2135 New Ulm Civic Center 1212 N. Franklin Street New Ulm, MN 56073 Phone: 507-359-8340 Fax: 507-359-8342 Web: www.ci.new-ulm.mn.us New Ulm Community Center 122 S. Garden Street New Ulm, MN 56073 Phone: 507-359-8340 Fax: 507-359-8342 Web: www.ci.new-ulm.mn.us

Spring 2012 • MINNESOTA Recreation and Parks 27

Minnesota Park and Recreation Rental Directory

Chaska Theater/Auditorium

New Brighton Community Center

New Ulm Civic Center

Minnesota Park & Recreation Rental Directory New Ulm Recreation Center 122 S. Garden Street New Ulm, MN 56073 Phone: 507-359-8340 Fax: 507-359-8342 Web: www.ci.new-ulm.mn.us

Prior Lake 4646 Dakota Street SE Prior Lake, MN 55375 Phone: 952-447-9822 Fax: 952-447-4245 Web: www.cityofpriorlake.com

Rochester - Northern Hills Golf Course 4721 West Circle Drive NW Rochester, MN 55901 Phone: 507-281-6170 Fax: 507-328-2535 Web: www.rochestermn.gov

Oakdale Discovery Center 4444 Hadley Avenue North Oakdale, MN 55128 Phone: 651-747-3860 Fax: 651-747-3861 Web: www.ci.oakdale.mn.us

Ramsey County - Keller Golf Course Clubhouse 2166 Maplewood Drive St. Paul, MN 55109 Phone: 763-744-8609 Web: www.ramseycountygolf.com

Rochester - Plummer House 1091 Plummer Lane SW Rochester, MN 55902 Phone: 507-328-2534 Fax: 507-328-2535 Web: www.rochestermn.gov

Owatonna - Four Seasons Centre 1525 South Elm Avenue P.O. Box 57 Owatonna, MN 55060 Phone: 507-451-1093 Fax: 507-451-5078 Web: www.co.steele.mn.us

Redwood Area Community Center 901 Cook Street Redwood Falls, MN 56283 Phone: 507-644-2333 Web: www.redwoodareacommunitycenter.com

Rochester - Recreation Center 21 Elton Hills Drive NW Rochester, MN 55901 Phone: 507-328-2500 Fax: 507-529-4588 Web: www.rochestermn.gov/ departments/park/facilities/ recreationcenter/index.asp

Owatonna Parks 540 West Hills Circle Owatonna, MN 55060 Phone: 507-444-4321 Fax: 507-444-4321 Web: www.ci.owatonna.mn.us Owatonna River Springs Water Park 540 West Hills Circle Owatonna, MN 55060 Phone: 507-444-4321 Fax: 507-444-4321 Web: www.ci.owatonna.mn.us Owatonna Senior Center 500 Dunnell Drive Owatonna, MN 55060 Phone: 507-774-7110 Fax: 507-444-4299 Web: www.ci.owatonna.mn.us Plymouth Creek Center 14800 34th Avenue North Plymouth, MN 55447 Phone: 763-509-5280 Fax: 763-509-5290 Web: www.plymouthmn.gov

28 MINNESOTA Recreation and Parks â&#x20AC;˘ www.mnrpa.org

Richfield Community Center 7000 Nicollet Avenue Richfield, MN 55423 Phone: 612-861-9395 Fax: 612-861-9388 Web: www.richfieldrecreation.com Rochester - Eastwood Golf Course 3505 Eastwood Road SE Rochester, MN 55904 Phone: 507-281-6173 Fax: 507-328-2535 Web: www.rochestermn.gov Rochester - Graham Arena Complex 1570 Fairgrounds Avenue SE Rochester, MN 55904 Phone: 507-328-2537 Fax: 507-328-2535 Web: www.rochestermn.gov Rochester - Hadley Creek Golf Learning Center 2427 Hadley Valley Road NE Rochester, MN 55906 Phone: 507-529-4119 Fax: 507-328-3-2535 Web: www.rochestermn.gov

Rochester - Soldiers Field Golf Course 244 Soldiers Field Drive SW Rochester, MN 55902 Phone: 507-281-6176 Fax: 507-328-2535 Web: www.rochestermn.gov Rogers Activity Center 22350 South Diamond Lake Road Rogers, MN 55374 Phone: 763-428-0974 Fax: 763-428-0033 Web: www.RAC.CityofRogers.org Rosemount Community Center 13885 South Robert Trail Rosemount, MN 55068 Phone: 651-322-6002 Fax: 651-322-6080 Web: www.ci.rosemount.mn.us Rosemount Steeple Center 13885 South Robert Trail Rosemount, MN 55068 Phone: 651-322-6002 Fax: 651-322-6080 Web: www.ci.rosemount.mn.us

New Brighton Neighborhood Center

St. Louis Park Aquatic Park

Minnesota Park & Recreation Rental Directory Roseville - Frank Rog Amphitheater Roseville Parks and Recreation 2660 Civic Center Drive Roseville, MN 55113 Phone: 651-792-7163 Fax: 651-792-7100 Web: www.cityofroseville.com/parks

Saint Paul - Como Historic Streetcar Station Park Permit Office Hamline Avenue North Saint Paul, MN 55108 Phone: 651-632-2445 Fax: 651-632-5115 Web: www.stpaul.gov

Waconia - Safari Island Community Center 1600 Community Drive Waconia, MN 55387 Phone: 952-442-0691 Fax: 952-442-0692 Web: www.waconia.org

Roseville - Muriel Sahlin Arboretum 2660 Civic Center Drive Roseville, MN 55113 Phone: 651-792-7106 Fax: 651-792-7100 Web: www.cityofroseville.com/parks

Saint Paul - Newell Building Parks Permit Office 1100 Hamline Avenue North Saint Paul, MN 55108 Phone: 651-632-5111 Fax: 651-632-5115 Web: www.stpaul.gov

Waseca Water Park 508 South State Street Waseca, MN 56093 Phone: 507-835-9700 Fax: 507-835-8871 Web: www.wasecawaterpark.com

Roseville Parks and Recreation Nature Center 2660 Civic Center Drive Roseville, MN 55113 Phone: 651-792-7104 Web: www.cityofroseville.com/parks Roseville Skating Center 2661 Civic Center Drive Roseville, MN 55113 Phone: 651-792-7122 Fax: 651-792-7120 Web: www.cityofroseville.com/index. aspx?NID=337

Stearns County Parks 1802 County Road 137 Waite Park, MN 56387 Phone: 320-255-6172 Fax: 320-0255-6177 Web: www.co.stearns.mn.us Thief River Falls Parks & Recreation 525 Brooks Avenue South Thief River Falls, MN 56701 Phone: 218-681-2519 Fax: 218-683-7246 Web: www.citytrf.net

Shoreview Community Center 4580 Victoria Street North Shoreview, MN 55126 Phone: 651-490-4705 Fax: 651-490-4797 Web: www.shoreviewcommunitycenter.com

Three Rivers Park District 3000 Xenium Lane Plymouth, MN 55441 Phone: 763-559-6700 Fax: 763-694-0145 Web: www.ThreeRiversParks.org

St. Louis Park - The Rec Center and Aquatic Park 3700 Monterey Drive St. Louis Park, MN 55416 Phone: 952-924-2546 Fax: 952-925-5663 Web: www.stlouispark.org

Vadanis Heights Commons 655 East County Road F Vadnais Heights, MN 55127 Phone: 651-204-6000 Fax: 651-204-6100 Web: www.vadnaisheightscommons.com

Washington County Historic Courthouse 101 West Pine Street Stillwater, MN 55082 Phone: 651-275-7077 Fax: 651-275-7076 Web: www.co.washington.mn.us/hc

Minnesota Park and Recreation Rental Directory

Warner Lake County Park Nature Center

Washington County Parks 10191 St. Croix Trail Hastings, MN 55033 Phone: 651-430-8245 Fax: 651-430-8239 Web: www.co.washington.mn.us Woodbury - Central Park 8595 Central Park Place, Suite 102 Woodbury, MN 55125 Phone: 651-714-3586 Fax: 651-702-1346 Web: www.woodburycentralpark.com Woodbury - Eagle Valley Golf Course 2600 Double Eagle Lane Woodbury, MN 551256 Phone: 651-715-3586 Fax: 651-702-1346 Web: www.egalevalleygc.com

This directory is a small sampling of park rental facilities available throughout Minnesota. For more information on other facilities throughout the state, contact your local city park and recreation department or county/state park office.

Spring 2012 â&#x20AC;˘ MINNESOTA Recreation and Parks 29

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