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Unsung Heroes - People Who Go Above-And-Beyond
PARK & REC professionals AND GUESTS who go above-and-beyond the call of duty
WHEN EXPERIENCE MATTERS
Although the Mount Pleasant Recreation Department (MPRD) is full of dedicated team members, there is one unsung hero that helps make it all happen – Troy Jenkins from Mount Pleasant Public Services. Troy, a trusted employee of the Town of Mount Pleasant for over 25 years, works alongside our special events, athletic, and program staff to assist in set up and break down, maintaining facilities, and much more. He masters the art of efficient, trustworthy work, whether it be mending a fence of our baseball
field, clearing wasp nests ahead of the Farmers Market crowds, or leading his crew in the setup of a much-anticipated event. We simply could not execute successfully without his expertise. In April, when our Farmers Market pivoted to meet the CDC guidelines, Troy was managing the stress of a much smaller team due to COVID. Still, he graciously showed up for us, no questions asked. He helped prepare our facility, gave advice and provided contacts, along with leading his team to successfully provide a safe environment for our local farmers and community patrons. Since then, our department has made strides in re-opening our facilities in a safe manner with Troy at our side every step of the way. He worked tirelessly to ensure our parks were ready for reopening in early summer. Once the parks were reopened, he pivoted to oversee the sports facilities maintenance ahead of outdoor summer sports and is now providing advisement on special event set up, as we anticipate our first special event since the initial pandemic closures. Troy is a trusted member of our team on the clock, and a trusted friend to many off the clock. If ever there was someone who will go above and beyond to accomplish a task, it is Troy. The Town of Mount Pleasant is incredibly lucky to employ a true public servant in every sense of the word.
USING DOWNTIME TO IMPROVE AWARD-WINNING FIELDS
By: Becky Ellison, Recreation Director, Town of Moncks Corner
The 2019 South Carolina Sports Turf Managers Association Baseball Field of the Year goes to the Town of Moncks Corner. Then, COVID-19 hit… As our Public Service Director, Logan Faulkner anticipated being recognized in front of Town Council for this extraordinary award, but he was sidelined by the COVID-19 pandemic. Our town offices closed, and all recreation activities came to a halt, but Faulkner gathered his team and began implementing several beautification projects throughout the park and town. As the pandemic progressed, the Public Service Department transitioned from maintaining the facilities for daily use to integrating several projects to keep our parks on the cutting edge of beautification and repairing damage from overuse. “Seeing children and adults playing on our fields daily is what recreation is all about, yet through this closure we were able to do much needed maintenance on all fields and entrance to our complex,” said Faulkner. The Town of Moncks Corner has not only maintained the beauty of all of our parks by making some much needed turf repairs, but they have also added flowers and palmetto trees throughout the park during the COVID-19 pandemic. Our Public Service department has worked diligently to create a beautiful masterpiece, from the freshly planted colorful flowers in hanging baskets along Main Street, to keeping the streets cleaned, and planting trees through-out the Regional Recreation Complex. Our goal is to provide fields with the best playing surfaces for all of our participants. We are proud of the Regional Recreation Complex. It is truly a masterpiece in the making.
MULTI-TASKING PERFECTED
SUPERHERO: CHARLESTON COUNTY PARKS MAINTENANCE TEAM
QUARANTINE IMPROVEMENTS– TACKLING NEW PROJECTS DURING THE COVID-19 PANDEMIC
When the Coronavirus pandemic began in the United States, the Charleston County Park and Recreation Commission (CCPRC) was preparing for the usual busy spring and summer months. Midway through March, it was clear that 2020 would be very different. Soon it was announced that all parks would be closed to the public and many employees would be working remotely for the foreseeable future. However, while some staff were privileged to work from home computers, CCPRC’s maintenance team continued to work diligently on site to keep our parks and facilities clean, safe and ready to open when the day came. Due to the parks’ absence of visitors, the maintenance staff was able to accomplish typical tasks while getting started on some projects that were not yet scheduled. This included deep cleanings of restrooms and other facilities, pressure washings of almost every object on site and new paint jobs for anything with signs of chipping. James Island County Park was especially able to get ahead of schedule. Because the site is so large and popular, there was an endless to-do list of projects. At Splash Zone, the in-park waterpark, irrigation systems were repaired, and extensive work was done to the grass and vegetation in and around the waterpark.
Misters were installed at Whirlin’ Waters’ “The Washout” to help cool down guests as they wait in line for the attraction
Plexiglass sneezeguards were installed at ticket booths, entry kiosks, registers, and various other counters throughout Whirlin’ Waters Adventure Waterpark.
