Parks & Recreation - March 2016

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Triple Bottom Line: Design Matters Thoughtful designs make for well-loved, well-used parks Page 56

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contents march 2016 volume 51 | number 3 | www.parkandrecreation.org

COVER STORY

FEATURES

56 Triple Bottom Line: Design Matters

60 Using Design to Reduce Crime

Thoughtful designs that encourage social

well-being, physical health and cultural

appreciation make for well-loved, well-used parks

How Crime Prevention through Environmental Design (CPTED) can improve and reduce crime in your park

Michael Cannavino, CPRP

Samantha Bartram

64 Designing with the Visitor in Mind

— the Next Stage for Trojan Park Paula Jacoby-Garrett

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contents march

departments

columns

10 Community Center

6 Perspectives Mayors Place Parks High on Their Priority Spending List Barbara Tulipane, CAE

Parks, Recreation and Water in Flint, Michigan 10 From the Director’s Chair 18 Adventure Races: Fun, Healthy Community Programming 20

8 Editor’s Letter

NRPA Connect Hot Topics 22

Designing Change Gina Mullins-Cohen

Notable News 22

24 Research Update Outdoor Smoke-Free Policy Development and Enforcement

36 Advocacy

30 By the Numbers

38 Law Review

Collaboration: The Key to Developing a Sustainable Trails System Amanda Patrick

in Parks Megan Owens

Gun Rights Tested in Parks and Public Spaces James C. Kozlowski, J.D., Ph.D.

Lightning Strikes

32 People for Parks An Early Innovator Sonia Myrick

48 Future Leaders Activism Must Be Balanced by Realism

34 Member to Member Young Athletes: Programming for the Future Ariel Kliem, LRT/CTRS

70 NRPA Update Becoming Essential 70 Americans Continue to Show Widespread Support for Parks and Recreation 72 Member Benefits: Join the World of Cooperative Purchasing 74 Test Your Park and Recreation Knowledge 74 Member Spotlight: Trace Stevens, CPRP 75 Hosts Needed for Scotts MLB Annual Pitch Hit & Run 76 Professional Development Calendar 78

80 Operations Building Dynamic Playgrounds

82 Products 84 Marketplace 87 Reader Service and Advertiser Index 88 Park Bench Pool Cool Samantha Bartram

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Parks & Recreation

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Gerry Logan, Jr., CPRE

50 Conservation Six Hundred Seconds to a Better You Jimmy O’Connor

52 Health and Wellness Communities Rallying for Health Sarah Jovinelly, Alba Sereno, Carmen Llanes-Pulido and Cynthia Rodriguez

54 Social Equity NPS Rim of the Valley Stretches Park Access and Habitat Connections Robert García

Page 52

P E R S P E C T I V E S A M E S S A G E F R O M N R PA’ S L E A D E R S

Mayors Place Parks High on Their Priority Spending List The 2015 Menino Survey of Mayors (http://tinyurl.com/hdjewd9), an annual survey by the Boston University Initiative on Cities, found strong support for parks spending broadly across city size and without significant distinction by party affiliation from the 89 mayors surveyed. Mayors responded that aging infrastructure was far and away the biggest challenge they face in the next five years and would therefore be their top priority. Specifically, the mayors would invest in roads, mass transit, and water and stormwater management as top priorities, but surprisingly, investing in parks ranked just behind these top mayoral priorities, the fifth-highest priority on a list of 12 top categories for “big-ticket” priorities.

Mass transit and roads were the top choices for large projects that would “consist of a large portion of your city’s capital budget.” However, parks and bike and pedestrian improvements moved to the top two choices for small projects; that is, ones that would commit a smaller percentage of the city’s capital budget. Responses did not vary by city size.

What is the significance of the results of the Menino survey to public parks and recreation? For one, the spending priorities identified by this comprehensive survey of mayors reinforces the growing recognition that high-quality parks are vital to the success of communities and that mayors recognize the critical importance of parks even when asked to choose among many other important infrastructure priorities.

Parks as infrastructure is not a new concept, but the growing recognition of how parks in the built environment shape the life of cities is breaking new ground. In NRPA’s recently released Perceptions study (www.nrpa.org/americans-support-parks), the public affirmed results of 25 years ago that they personally benefit from public parks, and that universally, they believe their communities benefited from local public parks.

Interestingly, a large majority of mayors believe that they are not receiving a substantial amount of support from their state or the federal government. Mayors felt that they are tasked with some of the thorniest issues facing America, yet they are not receiving the help that their predecessors received. The implications, especially for parks and recreation, are that mayors will look for more creative partnerships with other public sectors, make greater use of innovative funding and revenue sources and, clearly, place more reliance on public/ private partnerships to leverage taxpayer-supported funding.

NRPA continues to push the envelope in exploring a full range of solutions to meet the growing challenges of parks and recreation. Knowing that mayors place a high priority on parks spending will create new opportunities to engage their support for creative solutions to provide high-quality park and recreation facilities in their cities.

BAR BAR A T ULIPAN E, C AE President and CEO 6

Parks & Recreation

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2377 Belmont Ridge Rd. | Ashburn, VA 20148 2 703.858.0784 | www.nrpa.org

NRPA’S MISSION: To advance parks, recreation and environmental conservation efforts that enhance the quality of life for all people.

EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE

Jack Kardys

Chair of the Board of Directors Susan Trautman, CPRP

Miami-Dade Parks, Recreation and Open Spaces Department Miami, Florida

Great Rivers Greenway District St. Louis, Missouri

Michael Kelly

Chair-Elect Stephen Eckelberry

Chicago Park District Chicago, Illinois

Bartlett Park District Bartlett, Illinois

Brian Knapp

Past Chair Detrick L. Stanford, CPRP Clayton County Parks and Recreation Jonesboro, Georgia

Treasurer Neelay Bhatt PROS Consulting Indianapolis, Indiana

Secretary Roslyn Johnson Maryland-National Capital Park and Planning Commission Greenbelt, Maryland

President and CEO Barbara Tulipane, CAE National Recreation and Park Association Ashburn, Virginia

NOVA Parks Fairfax, Virginia

Detrick L. Stanford, CPRP Clayton County Parks and Recreation Jonesboro, Georgia

Molly Stevens Westcave Outdoor Discovery Center Austin, Texas

William “Joe” Turner Houston Parks and Recreation Houston, Texas

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BOARD OF DIRECTORS

James H. Evans

Leon T. Andrews

New York, New York

National League of Cities Washington, D.C.

Rosemary Hall Evans Sugar Hill, New Hampshire

Rebecca Benná, CPRP Five River Metro Parks Dayton, Ohio

Earl T. Groves

Neelay Bhatt

Charles E. Hartsoe, Ph.D.

Gastonia, North Carolina

PROS Consulting Indianapolis, Indiana

Richmond, Virginia

Kevin Coyle

Chadds Ford, Pennsylvania

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Jennifer Harnish Streams and Valleys Fort Worth, Texas

Roslyn Johnson Maryland-National Capital Park and Planning Commission Greenbelt, Maryland

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EDITOR’S LET TER

Designing Change Seven years ago, NRPA participated in the overall improvement of Marvin Gaye Park in Washington, D.C. It was from that work, united with NRPA’s dedication to our Three Pillars — Conservation , Health and Wellness and Social Equity — and our commitment to improve parks in underserved communities, that the Parks Build Community initiative was born.

VICE PRESIDENT OF MARKETING, COMMUNICATIONS AND PUBLISHING, AND EDITORIAL DIRECTOR Gina Mullins-Cohen gcohen@nrpa.org

Refurbishing a park or building one from scratch starts with ideas, people and plans that often exist in the shadows. The teams responsible for selecting playground equipment, aquatic features, landscaping and other amenities may never be known to the general public, but their work will be appreciated for generations yet to be born.

MANAGING EDITOR Sonia Myrick smyrick@nrpa.org

This issue of Parks & Recreation magazine salutes the planners, landscape architects, community leaders, corporate sponsors and park and recreation professionals responsible for this great work, in a special one-on-one interview with Forum Studio’s Senior Associate/Senior Landscape Architect Neil Eisenberger, starting on page 56. This accomplished design house was selected to help NRPA and its partners envision this year’s Parks Build Community project at Wellston, Missouri’s Trojan Park — in this Q&A, Eisenberger takes a wider view, discussing the way design impacts our physical, mental and social well-being.

Author Michael Cannavino, CPRP, looks at how park and public space design impacts the incidence of crime, starting on page 60. Using tools like the crime triangle, Cannavino explains how designers and planners can take a proactive approach to making their new projects and revitalizations safer for residents and visitors alike.

The water crisis in Flint, Michigan, weighs heavily on the American consciousness as the specter of crumbling infrastructure and its often disastrous consequences is made all too real in the poisoning of hundreds of adults and children. Executive Editor Samantha Bartram takes a look at how the crisis is impacting parks and recreation in Flint and surrounding Genesee County, starting on page 10.

Design matters, but so does commitment. Commitment of residents, municipal leaders, funders and you, the professionals who keep our public spaces up and running. NRPA is committed to elevating the work you do each and every day through initiatives like Parks Build Community, and in these pages, we hope to highlight the actions, stories and individuals who, regardless of circumstance, re-commit to this often challenging work each and every day. All our communities are made better for it.

GINA MULLINS-COHEN Vice President of Marketing, Communications and Publishing Editorial Director 8

Parks & Recreation

PRESIDENT AND CEO Barbara Tulipane, CAE

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EXECUTIVE EDITOR Samantha Bartram sbartram@nrpa.org

EDITORIAL CONTRIBUTOR Catrina Belt cbelt@nrpa.org PUBLICATION DESIGN Creative By Design www.creativebydesign.net SENIOR MANAGER OF ADVERTISING Dana Storm 703.858.2174 dstorm@nrpa.org MAGAZINE ADVISORY BOARD MEMBERS Mike Abbaté Keith Anderson Gerald Brown Ernest Burkeen Gwendolyn Chambers Brendan Daley Ryan Eaker Mariela Fernandez Robert García Kathleen Gibi Paul Gilbert Sandra Gonzalez Greg Harrison Tim Herd Mareya Ibrahim Todd Lehman Sam Mendelsohn Maria Nardi Gil Peñalosa Dr. Kevin Riley Paula Sliefert Anne-Marie Spencer Stephen Springs Randy Wiger

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Community Center Parks, Recreation and Water in Flint, Michigan

By Samantha Bartram

A

s this article was being finalized, a four-member chemical exposure team from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services was on its way to Flint, Michigan, to investigate the latest scourge visited upon this city’s already-poisoned residents. In addition to ingesting water with dangerous levels of lead and other chemicals for months, many Flintstonians discovered painful skin rashes all over their bodies. The Assessment of Chemical Exposure (ACE) investigators will attempt to determine the cause of the rashes — ask anyone on the ground in Flint, however, and they’ll readily supply the answer: it’s the water, stupid. hundreds of the city’s residents, particularly the children. This is just the latest indignity suffered by the mostly low-income, mostly African-American community, which over decades has seen its municipal services — including parks and recreation — decimated beyond recognition or eliminated completely. What recreational

Joyce Zhu via www.flintwaterstudy.org

The disastrous decision to switch the city from the Detroit water system to an untreated supply pulled from the Flint River— initially projected to save the city $5 million over two years — is now expected to cost anywhere between $750 million and $1.5 billion to fix and has caused irreparable damage to the health of

Contaminated tap water flows at a Flint Hospital October 16, 2015.

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services residents do enjoy are mostly provided by the larger Genesee County Parks and Recreation Department.

In a cruel twist, Genesee County was never required to switch from its water source, even though Flint, the county seat, was. That meant people could still visit Genesee County-operated community centers without fear of the water — its parks have no running water to begin with, and there are no aquatic facilities apart from lakes.

This writer sought to learn how the water crisis in Flint has impacted parks and recreation there — what was gleaned is a portrait of a town that has been serially abused by the public officials entrusted with its care, but which will not be defeated even in the most trying of times.

‘Continue to Provide, as Best We Can’ Flint has no independent parks and recreation department. What it does have is an Office of Planning and Development, which oversees planning, zoning, community and economic development, business services, blight elimination and neighborhood stabilization, and, parks and recreation. There are three employees listed under the parks and recreation masthead. They are planners and the scope of their job encompasses much more than the standard fare of our field, even considering park and recreation’s dubious motto to “do more with less.”

Still, says Adam Moore, planner I with the city of Flint, “We’re operating, still making plans for new projects, still implementing projects — obviously there is a crisis going on, but conversations about parks and rec are still ongoing every day.”

Similar statements are a common refrain when speaking with Flint residents. Despite the daily anxiety of knowing their water is unsafe, there is still a determination to pull together and press on. “We’re going through hard times right now, but it’s not a new thing for us to face challenges here,” Moore says. He continues by listing a number of projects and capital improvements underway in his city: enhancement of wetlands, installing natural drainage systems, building boardwalks, crime prevention through environmental design, establishing an environmental education program in local schools and spearheading the recent community build of a playground. “One-hundred-thirty-five people came out in cold, wet, down-pouring rain to build a playground with us — some were crying thinking about everyone who came out to support the city,” Moore says.

Flint Parks and Recreation, such as it is, provides no recreational programming — any such organized activities are handled by Genesee County. Flint has three active community centers, all of which are leased to or managed by outside groups. The city has almost 70 parks of varying size under its purview, while its larger properties — Flint Park Lake, Max Brandon Park, Thread Lake Park and McKinley Park — operate under the auspices of Genesee County. Park maintenance is handled by contractors and any related duties are accomplished

through creative partnerships with friends groups, Keep Genesee County Beautiful, Genesee County and other entities. Moore said his colleagues in municipal government are doing all they can to maintain normal operations and reassure res-

Florida State University.

With credentials like this, Larkin could presumably enjoy his pick of high-level administrative jobs anywhere in the country, but he prefers to keep his talents at home where he can give back to the city that, for

Despite the daily anxiety of knowing their water is unsafe, there is still a determination [among Flint residents] to pull together and press on. idents: “Our role to play here, and we do have a role to play in terms of parks, is to continue to provide, as best as we can in limited means, quality outdoor recreation and fitness spaces inside our neighborhoods, and to educate the public and work on park naturalization and expansion of rain gardens, wetlands and other features that can help improve the quality of ground and river water in Flint.”

Meet the New Boss Despite the wary national eye that seems perpetually fixed on the problems in Flint, just four months ago, Flint native Brian Larkin stepped up to lead his city’s Office of Planning and Development. Larkin is already well-versed in local politics, having previously served as the director of core initiatives at the Flint and Genesee Chamber of Commerce, as well as a stint as the associate director of the Michigan Governor’s Office of Urban and Metropolitan Initiatives in Flint. Larkin attended high school in Flint and left only to attain his bachelor’s degree at Morehouse College and his master’s in planning at

all its challenges, helped raise him.

“There’s been a lot of attention focused on this area, but I see this as a time for opportunity,” Larkin says.

“It’s an opportunity to address longstanding challenges and issues. Currently, we’re experiencing this public health crisis, but it’s a result of generations of decisions.”

Reserved but optimistic, Larkin believes that Flint will overcome the water crisis and emerge as a stronger, better-managed city. “At times in this country, we’ve been able to have heartfelt discussions about how we provide infrastructure, fund cities and support a high quality of life, but, right now, that system is broken,” he says. “The quality of open spaces, healthcare provisions, the system of revenue structures for urban centers — it’s broken and right now Flint is at the helm of that discussion. When all is said and done, we will have a better perspective on how to address these quality-of-life issues for urban center residents.”

For now, Larkin will oversee close collaboration with local public health agencies as his constituents continue to seek information and comfort

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in their daily lives. He underlines the importance of Flint’s parks and community centers as places where people can regain a sense of normalcy amid swirling rumors and slow-to-respond state officials. “Our community centers, parks and open spaces have catalyzed behind this experience,” he says. “They’re communal places serving as distribution centers for bottled water and places for residents to convene.” Park and recreation professionals know this is a core function of community centers — they should function as safe places for socialization and leisure, as well as the heart of neighborhoods where people can get basic information. Flint’s centers, even as their water fountains are shut down and covered up, even as cooking meals for seniors has been suspended, continue to provide this core function. “Active participation has remained high, but these spaces are also key places to disseminate information,” Larkin says. “Residents are concerned and the community centers are key in addressing their needs and resources, even though the consumption of 14 Parks & Recreation

water has halted.”

Larkin and his staff are still awaiting test results of the water sampled at Flint community centers and public water fountains. Based on those results, he’ll have a better sense of when things can return to normal.

“Residents are hearing the information that comes out — more and more every day in both directions: sometimes things that heighten concerns; sometimes information that alleviates them. Residents just want answers. They want to know the time frame, what activities can they do with their children, is it safe to bathe or to cook? They’re really concerned and want to make the best decisions for their families. My work is to disseminate the information that can help them.”

Standing Together Genesee County Park and Recreation Director Amy McMillan, who also serves as chair of the Flint River Watershed Coalition, is careful to emphasize this crisis is a man-made problem, from the decision to disconnect from the Detroit water supply

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to the regulatory agencies that were tasked with making sure Flint’s drinking water was safe. “It’s not that the river is somehow at fault,” she says.

“The water was not treated properly.

The systems that were used to treat it, the oversight — there are many reasons why this happened, none of which are specific to the Flint River.

Many communities use this water safely because they treat it properly.”

McMillan urges a visit to www. flintriver.org, which hosts ample information about the health of the Flint River and its watershed. Indeed, news reports indicated it was the decision to omit anti-corrosion agents — the application of which would’ve cost a whopping $140 a day — that caused the erosion of the pipes used to transmit Flint River water to residents’ homes. McMillan’s observations are backed by Marc Edwards, a professor of civil engineering at Virginia Tech University, whose testing helped uncover high levels of lead in Flint’s water, in a January report

by Jim Lynch of The Detroit News: “We can say with high confidence, that if the [corrosion controls] had been used, nearly all of the problems that have occurred — from lead to leaks to possibly Legionnaires’ disease — would not have occurred,” Edwards said.

Although Genesee County residents outside Flint’s boundaries were not forced to endure the consequences of such disturbing decisions, McMillan says the crisis touches everyone in the area. “It’s not accurate to say [Genesee County] is insulated in all this — many people working for the county live in Flint,” she says.

“A significant number of visitors to our parks and facilities are Flint residents. [Genesee County] may have different sources of water, but Flint

residents are Genesee County residents. We stand with them.”

Logistics make bottled water distribution at Genesee County community centers unfeasible, but McMillan says her agency is spearheading a major recycling effort to handle the plastic bottle and filter waste through Keep Genesee County Beautiful.

“We are very fortunate in that several private funders have contacted us to invest in recycling programs,” she says. “An unintended consequence of this crisis is recycling the empty bottles and filters. We are in the process of developing operations for recycling within four parks we manage in Flint. Wherever there are gaps we can help fill, that’s our job.”

McMillan is herself a 16-year resident of Flint and can personally attest to the constant mental anguish and anxiety caused by knowing her water is unsafe and state and federal officials untrustworthy. “It’s extraordinarily stressful,” she says. “The practicalities of having safe water to drink, cook and bathe in…the sense that people whose entire reason for existing, in terms of departmental functions, at the state and federal level failed Flint — in some cases it appears they’ve deliberately discounted Flint — that is incredibly difficult to experience. I am really lucky. I have a great job, a good education, I have a home and in comparison to many others I am tremendously privileged.

If this crisis is difficult for me, how difficult is it for someone who is not?

Someone who doesn’t have a safe, reliable car to drive to have their water tested or to pick up water and filters?

These are the things we really need to recognize.

“As someone who has spent her entire career in government, parks and recreation in particular, I know these

McMillan says her agency is spearheading a major recycling effort to handle the plastic water bottle and filter waste through Keep Genesee County Beautiful. services are vital to emotional and physical well-being. I and my staff feel responsible to provide those resources and manage the public trust, and it’s a huge level of trust. To see another unit of government at the state level fail in the way they have and make those deliberate choices, it feels like it reflects

on us. People’s trust in government is reduced and that affects all of us who are being responsible and supporting our cities. It’s the water and everything around it. Property values will take another drop — my home is worth less again and that’s one thing for me, personally, but the overall taxable value goes down, so there’s less money coming in for parks and rec, seniors, libraries, public safety, etc. Follow the consequences of this all the way through and you’ll begin to understand the impact of this crisis, even separately from health, which is foremost. It is not an overstatement to say this is a disaster — it’s absolutely a disaster.”

Samantha Bartram is the Executive Editor of Parks & Recreation magazine (sbartram@ nrpa.org).

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Community Center

From the Director’s Chair

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RPA member agencies in urban environments today face unique challenges — climate change, funding, gentrification — these are but a few topics weighing heavily on the minds of high-level park and recreation professionals the country over. To get a better sense of how these dynamic leaders are tackling such weighty issues, Parks & Recreation is starting the discussion with this new column. This month, we caught up with Susan Trautman, CPRP, executive director, Great Rivers Greenway District; Ernest Burkeen, director, Baltimore City Department of Recreation and Parks; and Mike Abbaté, director, Portland Parks and Recreation to ask the following question: Tell us about a recent project that your agency has worked on that has required you to think outside the box regarding financing and who were your key partners? Below are their insights. sustainable and accessible landscape that provides connections to a revitalized riverfront promenade.

This $380 million project was designed by Michael Van Valkenburgh Associates after an international design competition The funding is

Our goal is to

federal transportation grants, including a $20 million TIGER grant. This was followed by the voters’ approval of Proposition P: The Safe and Accessible Arch and Public Parks Initiative, which is generating $20 million annually in funds from a special sales tax. The Prop P Campaign and the CityArchRiver Project were high priorities for the St. Louis business community, which funded the campaign and contributed significant private dollars. Prop P funds are provided through Great Rivers Greenway District, which bonded $90 million of the revenue to provide capital dollars.

The CityArchRiver Foundation recently wrapped its capital campaign that raised a staggering $250 million in private contributions. These private dollars paid for the design of the overall project and funded the new $100 million museum, as well as portions of the park grounds projects.

reenergize and revitalize our region’s front Susan Trautman [Great Rivers Greenway] is one of the partners on the CityArchRiver project — the largest park renovation project in the St. Louis region and the largest public/private partnership in the history of the National Park Service. Our goal is to reenergize and revitalize our region’s front door by reconnecting downtown St. Louis, to the Arch grounds, to the riverfront.

Making it a reality requires the construction of a park bridge over a federal highway, the gutting, rehabilitation and expansion of the 50-year-old underground museum and more than 18 football fields of soil for a more 18 Parks & Recreation

door by reconnecting downtown St. Louis to the Arch grounds, to the riverfront.

— Susan Trautman unique because it requires the city of St. Louis, the Missouri Department of Transportation, Great Rivers Greenway District and the CityArchRiver Foundation to work together to leverage a variety of resources. The initial funding was $69 million in state and

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Ernest Burkeen The Baltimore City Department of Recreation and Parks, working together with civic organizations, launched a transformative program that brings city school kids to the banks of the

The Baltimore City Department of Recreation and Parks, working together with civic organizations, launched a transformative program that brings city school kids to the banks of the Patapsco River’s Middle Branch.

— Ernest Burkeen Patapsco River’s Middle Branch for recreational and educational experiences.

Through a partnership initiative of the Baltimore National Heritage Area, National Park Service, Baltimore City Public Schools and Baltimore City Department of Recreation and Parks, 140 eighth-grade students participated in the Kids in Kayaks program. One of the unique aspects of this program involved the introduction of kayaks to the students in our indoor swimming pools, thus providing a source of comfort for the students prior to the actual river experience. Additional partners of this program included the Baltimore Zoo and the Star-Spangled Banner Flag House.

Funding came from the National Park Service through the Baltimore National Heritage Area, finally to the Department of Recreation and Parks as a grant, in addition to an in-kind contribution by the Department of Recreation.

Mike Abbaté A proud moment for me, and one in which I cherish my team’s innovative problem solving, came in March 2014 when Portland Parks and Recreation (PPR) had a chance to take ownership of valuable land in a park-deficient part

of our city. But, we could only do so with the help of partners and grants. PPR was able to acquire a total of 85 acres, including an important natural area in the Columbia Slough watershed, and what is now the Colwood Golf Center.

The land was acquired and is managed through a partnership with the Portland Bureau of Environmental Services (BES) and Portland Parks and Recreation. This exciting undertaking means that 37 acres are now in our stewardship, protected as a natural area — 32 acres of which will be restored as forest and wetland areas. Further, the acquisition of green space took place in a traditionally underserved area of the city, in northeast Portland’s densely populated Cully neighborhood.

This was a desired and successful endeavor. And, it was a transaction that, given fiscal constraints, was only possible via our partnership with BES, the Trust for Public Land, our Portland Public Golf program and grants. With our lasting thanks, on April 22, 2015, the East Multnomah Soil and Water Conservation District (EMSWCD) proudly announced a $1 million grant to the city to support the natural area acquisition.

PPR was able to acquire a total of 85 acres, including an important natural area in the Colombia Slough watershed, and what is now the Colwood Golf Center.

— Mike Abbaté The city’s cost to acquire the entire Colwood property was $5 million: $3.5 million in a combination of PPR investment of System Development Charges (SDCs: revenue from construction development in the city) and reimbursement from golf revenue over time, $1 million from the EMSWCD grant and $500,000 thanks to a partnership with BES. — Samantha Bartram, Executive Editor of Parks & Recreation magazine

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Community Center

Adventure Races: Fun, Healthy Community Programming

By Nick Menchaca and Dr. Jo An Zimmermann, Ph.D., CPRP

R

ecreation agencies often find themselves brainstorming for new ideas or events that will include a variety of participants, regardless of age, body type, fitness level, and so on. Recreation can be used as a tool to bring communities together, and our goal as recreation professionals is to become a resource for safe and healthy fun! To that end, programming an adventure race is an excellent option for creating a safe, fun and healthy event for your community.

Adventure races can be designed to encompass many skill sets in addition to the challenge to compete for the fastest completion time. Most racers are satisfied with just completing the race, but there are some who train prior to the race, and compete at a high level. The race director can manipulate the overall structure of the race in any way and customize it to best fit the environment. For example, the adventure race known as Tough Mudder is a worldwide event where teams work through an intricate military style obstacle course.

The Tough Mudder adventure race values comradery, with the goal of all teammates finishing, over posting the fastest time. It began in 2010 with three races across the United States and 20,000 participants and raised more than $500,000 for the Wounded Warrior Project. Tough Mudder has grown every year: In 2014, 57 races took place across eight countries, raising $2 million for charities.

A Customizable, Self-Sustaining Program Adventure races have also become popular on college campuses. The University of Maine hosts an obstacle course-style adventure race that

20 Parks & Recreation

is limited to 300 participants in costume and is 3.5 miles long. Participants are required to complete tasks such as run through woods and swamps, climb walls, move tires and crawl through mud, to name a few. After the race, awards are given for first place and the best costume.

The University of Florida’s adventure race involves running trails, mountain biking, canoeing and climbing a rock wall. Rice University’s adventure race also involves running and canoeing but mixes in mystery challenges.

Other adventure races involve partners and orient participants to checkpoints where they must complete a challenge. Challenges can exercise mental, physical and/or teambuilding abilities, or can be as simple as getting a punch card stamped at the checkpoints. It is up to the race director and his or her crew to come up with fun challenges and surprises that will make the event special.

Adventure races are a good option for recreation agencies because the races can become a self-sustainable program without the need to be subsidized. At the University of Maine, individual participants can preregister for $15 or pay a day-of-race fee

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of $25 dollars for students and $40 for nonstudents. The University of Florida’s race has an entrance fee of $20 dollars per person and is completed in teams of two. Rice University’s race also has an entrance fee of $20 per person but requires teams of three.

A Learning Experience The Recreational Administration Program at Texas State University wanted to start a campus-wide tradition that would be highly anticipated every year. The growing popularity of adventure races worldwide gave rise to the idea of a local adventure race in the university’s hometown of San Marcos.

Since 2012, a group of undergraduate students in the recreation program development class has been putting on the Texas State (TXST) Turkey Adventure Race the Saturday before Thanksgiving.

Students in the programming class gain experience and learn about campus life by seeking out and creating partnerships with 12–15 student organizations. These student organizations each host a checkpoint challenge for the race.

After evaluating the first race, the crew began charging the student organizations a small fee to host a checkpoint. The fee encourages the student organizations to be punctual on race day and avoids having any no-shows. Many student organizations will either choose an activity that represents what they do or promote within their organi-

zation, or that’s a silly or fun challenge. Some of the favorite stops this past year included paddling in the San Marcos River on canoes to retrieve numbered targets, bouncing balls into different containers, spinning in circles before throwing a mini field goal and locating countries on a world map.

The TXST Turkey Adventure Race is set up throughout campus, and the location of each checkpoint is unknown to racers until race day.

Racers are allowed to complete the stops in any order and receive a wristband upon completion of each challenge. Once the racers cross the finish line, their time is recorded and their wristbands are counted to document how many challenges they completed. Prizes are awarded

based on the most stops completed in the shortest amount of time. Any teams that fail to return within the time limit are disqualified from prizes but are eligible for drawings. In 2015, TXST’s race had the most participants yet and generated around $500 toward student travel for professional development. The race also provides students with the opportunity to learn how to approach sponsors for prize donations and gain professional experience by creating partnerships with local businesses.

Adventure races are a flexible platform that recreation professionals can use to reach the community and to reflect the goals of their agencies. They can unite the community and provide opportunity for people to work together and

practice healthy habits. Any group or organization can create an adventure race and contribute to their surroundings by utilizing the environment in which they live. If you’d like to learn more about starting an adventure race email me at the address listed below. I’d be happy to share our experience with creating one at Texas State University.

Nick Menchaca is a graduate student in the Recreational Administration Program at Texas State University (nm1169@txstate.edu).

Jo An M. Zimmermann, Ph.D., CPRP, is an Associate Professor and Undergraduate Coordinator, Division of Recreational Administration, Department of Health and Human Performance at Texas State University (jz15@txstate.edu).

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Community Center

Notable News Hot Topics You don’t need the luck of the Irish to find your networking pot of gold this month. Just visit NRPA Connect to find the professional inspiration and answers for which you are looking! Below is a snapshot of discussions happening on Connect:

1

One-on-One Shadows for Children with Special Needs: Does your agency provide oneon-one shadows (employees) to work with children with special needs in order for them to be included in your afterschool and summer camp programs? Professionals weigh in on their policies and ADA requirements.

Coaching Requirements: Some concepts under discussion in this thread include offering coaching incentives, employing staff at all games, background screening requirements and more.

Advice for Young Professionals: Members in this discussion help answer the question, “Where can a young professional find experience to land a job?”

Department Foundations: Your colleagues discuss how their foundations are established, structured and what they have accomplished. Resources, information and contacts are shared to help make your foundation a success.

Need help accessing NRPA Connect? Contact us by email at customerservice@nrpa.org or by phone at 800.626.6772.

2

3

4

22 Parks & Recreation

n Two years ago, NRPA joined First Lady Michelle Obama and the Alliance for a Healthier Generation to announce a new partnership to support children’s health. Park and recreation agencies are the health and wellness leaders in our communities; that’s why we created Commit to Health — a campaign that supports the implementation and evaluation of Healthy Eating, Physical Activity (HEPA) standards in park and recreation sites across the country. Today, the Alliance is supporting 929 park and recreation sites across the country to achieve the HEPA standards, positively impacting the health outcomes for more than 100,000 kids.

We encourage you to join agencies across the country and take the next step to Commit to Health (www. nrpa.org/committohealth) with the Alliance for a Healthier Generation.

well as sidewalks and paths, community centers and children’s clubs in all 50 states. Among their findings: Adding parks to a neighborhood may reduce the probability of being overweight or obese by about 3 percentage points for boys and by 5-6 percentage point for girls.

n In recent months, two surveys have been published that contain information of interest for park and recreation professionals: The 2015 Menino Survey of Mayors (www.usmayors.org/meninosurvey/2015/2015survey-finalreport.pdf), conducted by the Boston University Initiative on Cities, and Do Neighborhood Parks and Playgrounds Reduce Childhood Obesity? (bit.ly/1mYb0NB) by Ball State University. NRPA President and CEO, Barbara Tulipane, CAE, highlights some findings from the Menino survey that pertain to parks and recreation in this month’s Perspectives column (see page 6). Professors Maoyong Fan from Ball State University and Yanhong Jin from Rutgers University analyzed the 2007 National Survey of Children’s Health, which collected information on neighborhood parks and playgrounds, as

n The city of Los Angeles Parks and Recreation Department now has 28 parks with smart water meters installed, giving the city the ability to monitor water use and locate leaks in real-time. Before the installation of the meters, the department used utility bills to monitors water use at the park. With the meters, city officials will automatically be alerted of leaks and can monitor data, on a cloud server, that is being collected every 15 minutes. Last year, the department reported a 26 percent decrease in water use, which is said to equal the amount of water used by 8,000 city households.

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n The city of Dallas recently adopted a new Parks and Recreation Comprehensive Plan and its first-ever Recreation Master Plan, both developed in partnership with Philadelphia-based interdisciplinary design firm Wallace Roberts and Todd (WRT). Although the city has added 570 acres of parkland since 2002, it has struggled to create parkland quickly enough to ensure access for all of its residents. The new plans call for an integrated, sustainable parks system that looks at present and future needs of the city’s residents.

For more news from around the industry, visit www.parksandrecreation.org/2016/March/Notable-News.

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Research Update Outdoor Smoke-Free Policy Development and Enforcement in Parks

By Megan Owens

S

moke-free park areas are quickly becoming an expected feature for many agencies. Each year, park and recreation agencies establish policies restricting smoking and other tobacco use in outdoor venues in order to combat a variety of health issues such as asthma, heart disease or lung cancer, as well as to address agency concerns related to tobacco litter.

According to a recent survey in Illinois, agencies were more likely to establish smoke-free zones within their parks rather than designating an entire park property as smoke-free. This article explores the survey results regarding smoke-free policies among Illinois parks and recreation agencies and provides insight into the variability of policy development, coverage and enforcement.

Study Background In response to an increase in inquiries about smoke-free parks, the Office of Recreation and Park Resources (ORPR) within the Department of Recreation, Sport and Tourism at the University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign, conducted a survey of park properties for the Illinois Department of Natural Resources that included close-ended questions about outdoor smoke-free park policy status, development and implementation. In 2014, this survey was mailed to all 524 identified agencies statewide and yielded a 65 percent response rate

for these questions. Respondents included 208 park districts, 119 municipalities and 16 forest preserves. Illinois’ public park system includes both special taxing districts (i.e., park districts and forest preserves) and parks and recreation departments within municipal government structures such as villages, cities or townships.

Policy Prevalence Only 42 percent of agencies had a formal outdoor smoke-free policy for their park system. Further analysis of this finding revealed park districts

were equally split on this issue, whereas most municipal and forest preserve agencies had not established a policy.

The number is slowly increasing, as more agencies have enacted a policy since this survey was conducted.

Nonetheless, agencies were less likely to have a policy that covered entire parks, as indicated in the below figure.

Only 21 percent of agencies enacted a smoke-free policy for whole parks.

Figure 1: Prevalence of Agencies with Completely Smoke-Free Parks (n=324)

City/Village 5% Park District 16% Yes 21%

No 79%

Agencies were more likely to designate specific park areas as smoke-free but the coverage areas varied across the respondents. The results indicated three types of park areas were commonly covered in the policy: playgrounds, pools and youth athletic fields. Youth and families frequently use these venues, which suggests overall support for limiting smoking and tobacco use around youth to protect their health and wellness. Results also indicated that smokefree park policies were less likely to cover areas used by adults. These findings 24 Parks & Recreation

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Figur

of tely 324)

Figure 2: Percentage of Park Areas Specifically Designated as Smoke-Free (n=340)

llage %

Trails 11%

strict %

Other 12%

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Playgrounds 22%

Adult Athletic Fields 15%

• • • • • •

Pools 21%

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Youth Athletic Fields 19% Ninety-eight agencies provided information about which sections of their parks or faciliteis were designated smoke-free. Respondents indicated all park areas covered in their policy, leading to multiple selections from individual agencies for a total n=340.

are similar to a study in Minnesota that found 80 percent of smoke-free park areas were used by children.

The policy coverage areas identified in this study may also indicate the difficulty in building consensus around the still controversial topic of outdoor smoking policies. Park patrons may agree to abstain from smoking around children but some individuals may be less inclined to resist the urge to use tobacco products when children are not present. In these circumstances, collecting research data, learning from other organizations and understanding the needs of your community are crucial to develop an inclusive and sustainable policy.

Board Involvement and Approach The process for developing any policy can be time intensive because of the necessary work of gathering information and input from multiple sources. The agencies that responded to this survey indicated their boards used several sources of information to develop a smoke-free park policy. Some boards utilized information such as health or park management trends that pertained to smoke-free policies. The habit of smoking has slowly waned over time, but new trends like vaping have become popular. Health-related information is limited at this time for these newer smoking modalities.

Therefore, the use of trend data may suggest some agencies decided to take action when other entities (i.e. municipalities or universities) enacted stronger smoke-free ordinances or policies for their outdoor spaces. Community input was another highly influential source of information used by

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Research Update some boards during the decision-making process. In some cases, the boards indicated that previous smoking-related incidents in their parks contributed to their policy decisions. Interestingly, very few agencies utilized research data (7.8 percent) as a source of information, which may suggest an overall acknowledgment of the health risks associated with tobacco use. Agencies interested in establishing policies may consider collaborating with local organizations such as health departments, municipalities, school districts or nonprofit clubs that utilize parks. A collaborative approach may increase buy-in among community members and ensure all information and issues are considered during the planning and writing phases. Each agency has distinct properties and constituents; thus, more than one informational source is necessary for establishing an effective policy.

Policy Enforcement The final component of examining outdoor smoke-free park policies in Illinois was to gain a better understanding of policy enforcement. This study found “no smoking” signage was the most common enforcement strategy. The use of signs is directly related to another form of enforcement — citizen enforcement (the reliance on park patrons to police themselves). While citizen enforcement was specifically identified by only a few agencies, some others use signs to subtly encourage patrons to self-report incidents to the agency or encourage patrons to approach and address the issue with those individuals violating the policy. Some agencies enforce their policy by having their staff monitor designated smoke-free areas. A study in Ontario, Canada, found most agencies did not need to hire addition26 Parks & Recreation

al staff or allocate more resources to implement their smoke-free park policies. The agencies incorporated staff monitoring into work responsibilities and collaborated with local authorities to enhance regular monitoring of all parks within the various agency systems. Staff monitoring may be easier to accomplish when parks are attached to facilities with a consistent staff presence compared to remote parks or trails with less-frequent monitoring. Remote park venues can pose a considerable challenge to enforce smoke-free policies, as patrons violating the established policies are less likely to be caught in the act. Catching patrons in the act of smoking can be challenging regardless of the park setting since smoking a cigarette can take less than 10 minutes.

Future Outdoor Smoke-Free Policy Considerations The issue of smoking or using tobacco-related products in community parks is not likely to diminish. In fact, the increased usage of e-cigs or vapor cigarettes and the rise of legal marijuana usage suggest parks and recreation agencies will increasingly face this issue. The El Paso, Texas, City Council recently updated its outdoor smoking ban to address e-cigarette usage. In this situation, the El Paso Clean Air Coalition collected more than 1,000 endorsements from concerned citizens and organizations and presented this information to the city council. In January 2015, “vaping” was banned in all city parks.

The process of developing a policy appropriate for your agency involves several steps. Any initial policy development should begin with the agency’s mission. A key question to ask is, “How will the creation of a smokefree park policy help us achieve our

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agency mission?” Agencies should then gather information related to current local ordinances and state laws, experiences from other agencies with formal smoke-free park policies and health-related research. This information serves two purposes: (1) informing the agency’s policy development and (2) providing supportive evidence if the policy is challenged. The second important consideration for policy development is the implementation and enforcement strategy. Four guidelines should be followed during policy development: 1. Staff involvement with monitoring and conflict resolution 2. The role of law enforcement 3. Understanding the design and intended use of the parks 4. Understanding the different groups of people utilizing the park space A stronger, more effective policy will be designed when adequate time is devoted to this planning process.

Although communities and agencies of all sizes are confronting the issue of smoking and tobacco use in park venues, a standard policy or practice does not yet exist. Agencies and boards are encouraged to take time to collect information, gather community input and support, and consider enforcement in order to create an effective policy.

Detailed references for this article may be found at www.parksandrecreation.org/2016/March/ Outdoor-Smoke-Free-Policy-Development-and-Enforcement-in-Parks.

Megan Owens is a Doctoral Candidate in the Department of Recreation, Sport and Tourism at the University of Illinois, UrbanaChampaign, and provides research and consultation services to park and recreation agencies through the Office of Recreation and Park Resources (mhowens2@illinois.edu).

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Booking your trip to St. Louis?

PLAN FOR TUESDAY-SATURDAY!

Unique off-site tours and trips start Tuesday morning (10/4) Parks Build Community celebration Saturday morning (10/8)

Off-sites around our region include highlighting new facility design, accessible playgrounds, and history of partnerships. Take a downtown walking tour or get to know our eagles, elks, owls and other wildlife.

Spend a crisp fall day ziplining, canoeing, kayaking and bicycling!

Explore a greenway, or check out Forest Park’s 1,300 acres as one of its 12 million visitors a year. Don’t miss out!

We can’t wait to welcome you to our region, home to an abundance of parks, open spaces, rivers, creeks and a growing network of greenways to connect them all.

See you in October for amazing fall colors!

By the Numbers

Lightning Strikes At any one time across the world, there are around 40-50 lightning events every second, or around four million strikes per day, according to satellites monitoring the atmosphere. It’s a natural phenomenon that commands a healthy dose of respect for the energy it unleashes and that can instantly elicit feelings of fear and create a dangerous situation. But, for all the “negativity” surrounding it, lightning plays a crucial role in fertilizing soil (by helping to dissolve nitrogen in the atmosphere in water so that plants can absorb it through their roots) and in protecting the earth, with the ozone it produces, from the sun’s ultraviolet rays. There are several myths about lightning, the most common being that it never strikes the same place twice. Towers, tall buildings like New York’s Empire State Building and Chicago’s Sears Tower, and even some people — Roy Cleveland Sullivan (February 7, 1912 – September 28, 1983) a United States park ranger in Virginia’s Shenandoah National Park between 1942 and 1977, was hit by lightning on seven different occasions and survived all of them — can attest to this falsehood. As we approach the beginning of spring and, soon, pool season, a refresher on lightning safety may be a wise course of action. Following are some interesting facts about lightning:

800:

Number of thunderstorms discharging lightning at any one time worldwide.

20 million-25 million:

Number of ground strikes per year in the United States, roughly.

$4 billion-$5 billion: An-

nual cost of damage from lightning in the United States.

7:

Types of lightning strikes recognized by the National Weather Service: intra-cloud, cloud to cloud, cloud to ground, cloud to air, bolt from the blue, anvil lightning and heat lightning.

10 miles+: Distance away from any rainfall that lightning can strike.

24.7: Number of strikes per square mile in the

1: Number of strikes needed to operate a 100-Watt

state most prone to lightning strikes: Florida.

50,000-60,000o F: Average

least prone to lightning strikes: Washington.

bulb for one month.

temperature of a negatively charged lightning strike (five times hotter than the surface of the sun).

90,000 miles per second: Speed of a lightning strike (100 mil-

lion feet per second).

1-2 inches: Average thickness of a bolt.

30 Parks & Recreation

0.3: Number of strikes per square mile in the state

Sources: The National Weather Service’s Severe Weather Safety Guide: Lightning (www.weather.gov/media/pah/WeatherEducation/lightningsafety.pdf), the National Lightning Safety Institute (www.lightningsafety.com), the Weather Channel (www.weather.com/safety/thunderstorms/news/top-5-lightning-prone-states-20120509#/6), All About Lightning by Martin A. Uman and Lightning: Nature and Culture by Derek Elsom

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People for Parks An Early Innovator

By Sonia Myrick

W

hen Mary Scheurer started working for the Portland Parks, Recreation and Cemeteries Department in 1978, there were five city parks. Today, there are 15 park and recreation facilities, including the 8-mile, paved Portland Riverwalk trail that encircles the city — an achievement of which Scheurer is most proud. A Portland native, she grew up on a dairy farm and has only moved a half mile down the road from her family home. Her love for her city is evident in the legacy she leaves behind, having just retired after 37 years in the field. Not only was she instrumental in growing Portland’s park and recreation department, but also in mentoring many current officials who got their start there. Fittingly, she received the Portland Area Chamber of Commerce Citizen of the Year Award on February 8, 2016.

Changes During the course of her career, Scheurer has seen a number of changes. When she first started in the recreations department, she was essentially a one-woman show — programmer, secretary, director — plus she was in charge of parks and cemeteries where she did oversee some employees. Imagine having to create the scheduling for 80 softball

with our participants.”

Not all changes have been for the better, however, as Scheurer points to a marked decrease in the number of house-league teams and a waning interest in team sports in general. “I worked in a city of about 4,000, but we served a school district of about 12,000. We used to have really good in-house youth girls softball and basketball leagues with enough teams to

Under [Scheurer’s] leadership, Portland Parks and Recreation was able to acquire 41 acres of abandoned railroad grade in December 1987. teams using a typewriter! For some, this may be difficult to envision since this technology was eclipsed by the personal computer in the 1980s. Ever the innovator, Scheurer welcomed the advent of the personal computer and copier, which helped make her job more manageable, and took to social media, which she says, “is a much easier way to make contact 32 Parks & Recreation

have between four and six teams in each league. Recently, everyone has gone to the travel program. Many of the kids don’t have the money or parents don’t have the time to do travel, but, as a result, we don’t have enough kids to have the local leagues. In addition, the top people who would have been our coaches in those leagues also went to the travel leagues. I feel

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some kids are getting left out.

“Another change is that more and more people are interested in individual activities like walking and biking and maybe less so in the team concepts because of how hectic our lives are now. This has changed a lot from the old days when a lot of people were on teams — softball, basketball, baseball, etc.”

A Visionary On the site of a former sawmill, where others saw a vacant lot covered with trees and debris, Scheurer envisioned a park with playground equipment and a pavilion, part of the early stages of a walkable community. Under her leadership, Portland Parks and Recreation was able to acquire 41 acres of abandoned railroad grade in December 1987. “In 1990, I completed a Michigan Department

of Natural Resource Recreation bond fund grant for the Development of Joe Tichvon Park, and in 1991, I wrote a Michigan Natural Resource Trust Fund Grant for the initial phase of our Riverwalk trail project.

I put in the grant that we were trying to create a safe highway across the community to connect our schools, our parks and our downtown districts using the two rivers and our city as a focal point.

“With our safe highway concept, we were trying to keep the kids off the roads with our bridge underpasses on our major intersections. People on the other side of town could jump on the trail, maybe cross only one road, and get all the way down to the ball fields and never have to cross another road. Fortunately, we owned a lot of floodplain river frontage in the community, which gave us access to a lot of those places. It also happened to be the primary focus of the Natural Resource Trust Fund and the governor’s initiative making funds available to build trails at that time. We did get the city looped in 2010; it was almost a 20-year project in different phases.”

Scheurer was also instrumental in creating three additional neighborhood parks that put these resources closer to residents and their homes.

A Rewarding Career Being able to work your entire career in the community where you were born is a rarity, and for this Scheurer feels very fortunate. “I’ve been able to see many improvements in the community that I was a part of and that generations to come will be able to appreciate and utilize. I truly enjoyed what I was doing at work every day because of the variety. At the beginning, I was working with youth and recreation programs and

Mary Scheurer’s leadership was instrumental in the planning and completion of the 8-mile Portland Riverwalk trail, which encircles the city.

With our safe highway concept, we were trying to keep the kids off the roads with our bridge underpasses on our major intersections. then writing grants and involved in the development of the projects. Seeing the changes in the community at the ground level and dealing with second-generation people in our programming and the public in general was also rewarding.”

Hard work, dedication and not asking “anybody to do anything that I wouldn’t do” are part of her leadership style. “You can’t come in and be a 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. employ-

ee and accomplish what needs to be done. To young professionals, I just try to lead by example and remind them that when you are dealing with the residents of the community, remember we are public servants. I’d also recommend that they consider joining a professional association like NRPA. Anytime you can get networking with other people in your field, whether it’s your local/regional recreation group, your state association, the networking and the resources that are available to you really are an asset in trying to do your job because you don’t have to recreate the wheel.”

Scheurer, who owns a couple hundred wooded acres and loves to be out in nature, plans to spend her retirement working on the farm originally owned by her grandfather.

Sonia Myrick is the Managing Editor of Parks & Recreation magazine (smyrick@nrpa.org).

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Member to Member Young Athletes: Programming for the Future

By Ariel Kliem, LRT, CTRS

T

he Mecklenburg County Park and Recreation Department (MCPRD)/Therapeutic Recreation Section (TRS) and Special Olympics of North Carolina are paving the way for young athletes and early intervention programs.

In 2004, the Special Olympics International Board of Directors and its Program Committee discussed the idea of including children younger than 8 years old in developmentally appropriate activities as an early outreach mechanism for new athletes and their families. The Program Committee focused on the benefits

of early skills development activities in preparation for sports training and competitions, health benefits and physical therapy, as well as social and cognitive development. This led to the development of the Young Athletes Program (YAP).

YAP is open to children with and without disabilities — MCPRD’s

The Special Olympics’ Young Athletes Program is focused on early skills development activities for children younger than 8 years of age, with and without disabilities.

34 Parks & Recreation

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program primarily targets 2-5 year olds within select pre-kindergarten classrooms. It is offered in an inclusive setting at certain school sites and focuses on teaching the fundamental skills of a variety of different sports.

When the Special Olympics created YAP, it was a loosely formed initiative that focused on programming for children with developmental delays and/or developmental disabilities who were too young to participate in a traditional Special Olympics program. In order to participate in Special Olympics sports, children must be at least 8 years of age. YAP offers an opportunity for those too young to participate in Special Olympics sports to learn the basic skills required and to also increase gross motor skills.

The Beginning In the spring of 2009, the Therapeutic Recreation Section of MCPRD was approached by Special Olympics of North Carolina to discuss partnering on this newly piloted initiative.

TRS had a meeting with one of the state vice presidents of Special Olympics and visited a Young Athletes Field Day event being held in Cabarrus County to see the structure of its program. Since YAP was still a new concept, there was very little information on how to make the program successful or even what direction to take with its development. Because the program was in the pilot stage, each site was allowed to develop its

own programs that worked around a loosely based theme of early childhood development skills. Some sites were doing ongoing programs while others were holding one-day events.

In the fall of 2009, MCPRD TRS staff contacted the Developmental Pre-Kindergarten Program for Charlotte Mecklenburg Schools (CMS).

Through this partnership, we were able to develop a pilot program in the spring of 2010. We started by serving six classrooms in four different CMS schools, reaching 47 children with disabilities for seven weeks of in-school activities to develop sport skills. The Young Athletes Field Day celebration, held May 1, hosted more than 30 families who came to see what their children learned during the almost two months of the program.

The Program Each week of YAP focuses on a different gross motor or sport skill, including balance, running and jumping, kicking and trapping, throwing and catching, and striking. Along with different activities to develop the skill, we also teach and reinforce pre-kindergarten-level social skills, including sharing, taking turns and following directions. Throughout each activity, the therapeutic recreation specialist modifies and adapts the level of challenge based on the skills of each student.

We are currently celebrating the sixth year of Young Athletes programming, which has continued to grow over the years. The number of participants has increased more than sevenfold since the original start date.

Mecklenburg County Park and Recreation TRS staff members are currently visiting 15 CMS public schools and one private school. That’s 460

YAP Teacher Testimonial

Throughout each Young Athletes Program activity, therapeutic recreation specialists modify and adapt the level of challenge based on the skills of each student.

children seen, on average, per week!

We program for a total of at least 20 weeks during the school year — 10 weeks in the fall and 10 weeks in the spring — and we are involved in the Special Olympics spring games.

Going forward, we hope to eventually provide YAP to all CMS school sites that host an Exceptional Children pre-kindergarten classroom.

TRS staff members are continuing to develop and enhance lesson plans every week with new and exciting goals and objectives. We will continue working to develop new contacts with our schools and on increasing the number of children served. It has been incredibly rewarding to be a part of this program! Every year we see new faces and have the opportunity to work with some amazing children.

We see growth in all of the children from the first day of YAP in the fall to the final all-skills day in the spring.

MCPRD is looking forward to the continued expansion of the program and is delighted to be a part of these developmental milestones!

Being part of the Special Olympics Young Athletes Program with Mecklenburg County Park and Recreation Therapeutic Recreation Section has been a wonderful experience for me and my students.

I have now had the opportunity to participate with the program for two years. When my co-worker told me about it and invited me to participate, I was ecstatic. I knew that my students would love getting the extra time to run, jump and play, especially while being outside.

Through YAP, the students learn various basic sports skills that increase their strength and coordination. Many of them struggle with their coordination skills and this program gives them the chance to improve. They also learn about working together as a team in order to complete various skills. YAP gives students the opportunity to develop the foundational skills they will need to play sports in the future.

Before the start of the program, many students did not know how to throw a ball or to balance. Now, when they go outside, they are eager to work on throwing, catching and kicking. They have been given an opportunity to gain skills they may never have learned if it wasn’t for YAP. They also are excited about playing sports and learning that it takes practice in order to get better! YAP has been and will continue to be a wonderful foundational program for students with and without disabilities.

Katherine Zuhl is a pre-kindergarten teacher at Winding Springs Elementary in Charlotte, North Carolina.

Ariel Kliem, LRT/CTRS, is a Therapeutic Recreation Specialist at Mecklenburg County Park and Recreation (ariel.kliem@ mecklenburgcountync.gov).

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ADVOCACY

Collaboration: The Key to Developing a Sustainable Trails System

By Amanda Patrick

F

or those of us who work in the field of recreation and park administration, it truly is a calling. We are indeed carriers of a flame, bringing great passion and insight for connecting people to activities that can provide greater health, happiness and overall holistic well-being. For me, I found this love early on in my undergraduate days while a student at Western Kentucky University. What started as a double major in biology and recreation quickly led to me focusing primarily on my excitement for green spaces, the great outdoors and a new career path as a park ranger with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. With this came leadership opportunities with NRPA. Between my vocation and NRPA, I was able to develop early skill sets and engage in amazing leadership development opportunities that furthered my love for my field.

More than 15 years later, I continue my work with the federal government as a public affairs specialist and project manager with the U.S. Forest Service. I also remain involved with NRPA. Most recently, I was fortunate to be a part of a project that brought these two wonderful organi36 Parks & Recreation

zations together. The nature of the work focused on trails, which serve as the essential gateway for our nation to strengthen and deepen its connections to outdoor experiences.

The Forest Service manages 157,000 miles of trail, the largest trail system in the nation. These include short

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trails that reach local sites and destinations, and trails that traverse thousands of miles through iconic landscapes and across many states.

Shared Learnings With the responsibility of being good stewards of the largest trails system in the nation, the Forest Service and external partners came together in Washington, D.C., November 19-20, 2015, for two days of collaborative thinking and dialogue focused on the topic of developing a sustainable trails system. Held in partnership with NRPA, the Trails Summit included shared learning to date, the hurdles that exist and actions on how to surmount potential obstacles. Forest Service Chief Tom Tidwell kicked off the

summit on the first day, empowering attendee thinking for the two days ahead while also providing a charge of inspiration. Autumn Saxton-Ross, program director for Place-Based Initiatives for the National Collaborative for Health Equity, also brought new insight to the conversation by sharing about the health benefits of trails along with the need to ensure equity when considering access.

Prior to the Trails Summit, we had meaningful dialogue with our partners, giving us much greater clarity into what people desire from our trails, what shared goals we have and what hurdles potentially impede our pathways forward. What we heard validates what we have known: • Develop a sustainable trails program in all areas, ranging from maintenance to volunteer utilization.

• Incorporate and embrace technology for trail information, maintenance and construction.

• Improve access to trail systems.

• Streamline and maximize efficiencies for using partnerships and volunteers.

• Have quality data, via multiple data sets, and collaborative data sharing locally among local, state and federal agencies.

• Be innovative in finding ways to improve access to training for both employees and volunteers.

• Increase support for youth corps programs.

• Place greater emphasis on stewardship.

A key part of our focus with this project also included being keenly introspective, seeking to better understand our own internal challenges as an agency in achieving a sustainable trails system. While it could have been easy to be dismayed or stumped for the right answers, in rallying to

In our own conversations with fellow partners, we began to harness new vision, capacity and energy in seeing the future of trails. gether with our partners, it soon became apparent that many of us face the very same challenges. We also realized something that is very important but sometimes is easy to lose sight of: We are not alone, and we do not have to shoulder this responsibility single-handedly. In fact, if we were to be successful, we knew it would take all of us working together to create this paradigm shift.

As we worked with NRPA as cohosts for the Trails Summit, we saw how its Three Pillars — Conservation, Health and Wellness, and Social Equity — spoke to our work.

NRPA seeks to impact communities

through these three areas. In our own conversations with fellow partners, we began to harness new vision, capacity and energy in seeing the future of trails. From looking at the health benefits of trails to focusing on the stewardship piece of trail care and maintenance, we found a commonality in our own approach and the work of NRPA. While it sometimes feels daunting to face the challenges that stymie our work, ranging from lacking resources to how best to retool processes, we are not alone in our efforts to improve how we seek to connect and support others. From a national forest to a city’s park and recreation department, we are connected through a shared sense of purpose in serving the public. In sharing resources, ideas and thinking holistically, we bring greater capacity, vision and empowerment to our work. Collaboration is indeed vital, perhaps now more than ever.

Amanda Patrick is a Public Affairs Specialist and Project Manager at the U.S. Forest Service (apatrick@fs.fed.us).

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Gun Rights Tested in Parks and Public Spaces

By James C. Kozlowski, J.D., Ph.D.

A

number of states have already adopted “open carry” gun laws.

These laws are subject to significant jurisdictional variations. Public park and recreation agencies have become increasingly concerned about the appropriate agency and employee response to situations involving citizens openly carrying guns in park and recreation facilities. As with every other significant law-related issue and policy, including applicable federal and state gun laws, local counsel should be consulted.

As illustrated by the federal court opinions described herein, the preferable response to situations causing immediate concern about an individual’s possession of a firearm might be to summon local law enforcement officials. In responding to firearms reports and complaints, peace officers with arrest authority (including some park rangers) can stop and question an armed individual to determine whether applicable federal and state gun laws have been violated. Moreover, law enforcement officers acting

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reasonably and in good faith will generally have qualified immunity from any federal civil rights liability for alleged violations of an individual’s constitutional rights.

Qualified Immunity In the case of Baker v. Officer Randall Schwarb, 40 F. Supp. 3d 881; 2014 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 114685 (E.D. Mich. 8/19/2014), the city of Sterling Heights Police Department received a flood of 911 calls from concerned citizens reporting “what

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looked like two young, heavily armed men walking on a city street” past a public park. Responding police officers found the two men — one “dressed all in black and sporting sunglasses, and both carrying impressive looking rifles and handguns in full view.” The officers approached and, after an initial discussion, peacefully disarmed the men.

They were then briefly detained, their identification was retrieved and verified, and they were questioned.

After the officers safely restrained the men, the men stated that they were “exercising their constitutional rights.” One of thm asked the police officer (defendant Schwarb), “Are we committing a crime?” Schwarb responded, “That’s what we’re trying to figure out” because “you’re freaking out half the city here.” During

this time, the police officers verified the men were over the age of 18, did not have any criminal convictions or outstanding personal protection orders against them and were properly licensed to carry their weapons.

After establishing that the firearms were lawfully possessed, the officers returned plaintiffs’ weapons and released them. The entire encounter lasted about 20 minutes.

The two men subsequently brought a federal civil rights suit against the police officers alleging violation of their Fourth Amendment rights. In response, the defendant police officers contended they are entitled to qualified immunity and thus may not be held liable for damages under Title 42, Section 1983 of federal civil rights law. Qualified immunity shields government officials from civil liability when actions performed in their official capacity “[do] not violate clearly established statutory or constitutional rights of which a reasonable person would have known.”

Qualified immunity attaches unless “it would be clear to a reasonable officer that his conduct was unlawful in the situation he confronted.”

Probable Cause As cited by the federal court, the Fourth Amendment to the United States Constitution establishes the “right of the people to be secure in their persons against unreasonable searches and seizures.” As described by the court, “The Fourth Amendment protection against unreasonable searches and seizures generally requires a law enforcement officer to have probable cause to believe that a crime has been or is being committed before conducting a search.” Further, the court noted the “existence of probable cause must be assessed

from the perspective of a reasonable officer on the scene, rather than with the 20/20 vision of hindsight.”

In the opinion of the federal district court, “Officers in the position of defendants reasonably could have believed that plaintiffs were in violation of the city’s disturbing the public peace ordinance.” As defined in the ordinance: “Disturbing the public peace consists of causing a public

a fear-provoking scenario, and their actions were prudent given the unusual nature of the circumstances.”

Investigatory Stop As cited by the federal district court in the case of Terry v. Ohio, 392 U.S. 1, 88 S. Ct. 1868, 20 L. Ed. 2d 889 (1968), the Supreme Court had held that a police officer can stop and question an individual for purpos-

A police officer can stop and question an individual for purposes of investigating possible criminal behavior even though there is no probable cause to make an arrest. disturbance,” i.e., “any act or series of actions causing an interruption of the public peace and quiet, including the direct endangerment of the safety of persons or property.” Under the circumstances, the court found the men were indeed intent on creating a public disturbance.

By plaintiffs’ own terms, they were “walking while open carrying their firearms in local communities to desensitize the public to open carry, and to educate police officers with [sic] whom they may encounter on the legality of open carry.”

It is reasonably clear that plaintiffs knew that, in the face of their intended behavior, the public was likely to be highly sensitive (else why seek to “de-sensitize” people?). The single reasonable conclusion is that plaintiffs were knowingly acting in a provocative manner, hoping to foment an interaction and cause a disturbance. As events show, they succeeded nicely.

Accordingly, the federal district court concluded, “The defendant officers’ conduct was, at the very least, reasonable — they were investigating

es of investigating possible criminal behavior even though there is no probable cause to make an arrest.

Further, because the Fourth Amendment to the United States Constitution bars “unreasonable searches and seizures,” the court acknowledged an officer “must be able to point to specific and articulable facts, which, taken together with rational inferences from those facts,” give rise to a “reasonable suspicion” that criminal activity is taking place. In addition, “the officer must be able to articulate something more than an ‘inchoate and unparticularized suspicion or hunch.’” Moreover, the court views “the evidence in support of reasonable suspicion using a commonsense approach, as understood by those in the field of law enforcement.”

Applying these principles to the facts of the case, the federal district court found the police officers had reasonable suspicion that the plaintiffs were engaging in, or intended, criminal activity.

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Defendants responded to at least six (and possibly more) 911 calls from concerned citizens. Upon arriving at the scene, Defendants encountered two heavily armed individuals outside of a hospital… Not only did the officers have reasonable suspicion to believe that plaintiffs were engaging in criminal activity, but they also had reasonable suspicion to believe that plaintiffs may have been about to commit a crime. (Emphasis of court) Based on “the totality of the circumstances” in this case, the federal district court, therefore, concluded, “defendants’ decision to stop and temporarily detain plaintiffs was objectively reasonable.” As a result, the federal district court held “defendants did not violate any of plaintiffs’ clearly established rights under the Fourth Amendment and are therefore entitled to qualified immunity on this claim.”

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Park Safety In the case of United States v. Masciandaro, 638 F.3d 458; 2011 U.S. App. LEXIS 5964 (4th Cir. 3/24/2011), the federal appeals court considered whether a regulation prohibiting the possession of a loaded handgun in a motor vehicle within a national park area violated the Second Amendment. Daingerfield Island is an area near Alexandria, Virginia that is managed by the National Park Ser-

Masciandaro explained that he carried the handgun for selfdefense, as he frequently slept in his car while traveling on business.

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vice for recreational purposes, including a restaurant, marina, biking trail, wooded areas and other public facilities. On June 5, 2008, at about 10 a.m., Sean Masciandaro was parked illegally while sleeping in his vehicle at Daingerfield Island. A park police officer approached Masciandaro’s vehicle and asked him for his driver’s license.

Having noticed a machete-type knife protruding from under the front seat, the police officer asked Masciandaro whether there were any weapons in the vehicle. Masciandaro indicated that he had a handgun and a subsequent search uncovered a loaded 9mm Kahr semiautomatic pistol. Masciandaro had an expired Virginia concealed weapon carry permit. He was arrested and charged with “carrying or possessing a loaded weapon in a motor vehicle” within national park areas, in violation of 36 C.F.R. § 2.4(b).

This particular federal regulation was subsequently revised to “harmonize the regulation of firearms in national parks with that by the states.” Specifically, the revised regulation would allow individuals to possess loaded, operable firearms within national parks whenever it was legal to do so under the laws of the state in which the park was located, so long as the individual was not otherwise prohibited from doing so by federal law.

At trial, Masciandaro explained that he carried the handgun for self-defense, as he frequently slept in his car while traveling on business, and that while traveling he often kept cash, a laptop computer and other valuables on hand. Masciandaro was fined $150 for violating the handgun regulation. The federal district court rejected Masciandaro’s claim that the

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fine violated his constitutional Second Amendment rights.

Masciandaro appealed.

Citing the “watershed” decision of the United States Supreme Court in Dist. of Columbia v. Heller, 554 U.S. 570, 128 S. Ct. 2783, 171 L. Ed. 2d 637 (2008), Masciandaro claimed the Second Amendment guaranteed him “the right to possess and carry weapons in case of confrontation and thus protected him from prosecution under § 2.4(b) for exercising that right in a national park area.” In so doing, Masciandaro argued “his handgun is the ‘quintessential self-defense weapon’” and that he was exactly the type of “law-abiding citizen” who is the primary intended beneficiary of the Second Amendment’s protections. In response, the government contended the holding of Heller was limited to possession of a handgun in the “home,” and, therefore, inapplicable to the circumstances to this case.

As noted by the federal appeals court, the Supreme Court in Heller had held a law that “totally banned handgun possession in the home and prohibited rendering any lawful firearm in the house operable for the purpose of immediate self-defense violated the Second Amendment.”

While Heller may have established a “clearly defined fundamental right to possess firearms for self-defense within the home,” the federal appeals court acknowledged “a considerable degree of uncertainty remains as to the scope of that right beyond the home.” The issue was, therefore, whether Heller necessarily invalidated a regulation that prohibited “the possession of a loaded firearm in a motor vehicle on National Park Service land.”

While Heller “did not define the outer limits of the Second Amendment right to keep and bear arms,” the Supreme Court noted that “the right was not unlimited, just as the First Amendment’s right of free speech was not.”

On the contrary, the Supreme Court found the Second Amendment right to bear arms was not “a right to keep and carry any weapon whatsoever in any manner whatsoever and for whatever purpose.”

Moreover, the Supreme Court in Heller noted “a majority of the 19th century courts that considered prohibitions on carrying concealed weapons held them to be lawful under the Second Amendment.” Similarly, in Heller, the Supreme Court indicated it would uphold “laws forbidding the carrying of firearms in sensitive places such as schools and government buildings.” Accordingly, the federal appeals court would determine whether a regulation of firearms in national parks was justified as a “sensitive place” prohibition. The federal appeals court noted fur-

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ther that a governmental prohibition on firearms was a “presumptively lawful regulatory measure.”

Two years after deciding Heller, in the case of McDonald v. City of Chicago, 130 S. Ct. 3020, 177 L. Ed. 2d 894 (2010), the Supreme Court held “the Second Amendment was applicable to the states by incorporation into the Fourteenth Amendment.” In so doing, the Supreme Court stated “Self-defense is the central component of the individual right to keep and bear arms” and that this right is “fundamental.” Once again, however, the Supreme Court reiterated, “Second Amendment rights are far from absolute” and “many basic

42 Parks & Recreation

At the time of his arrest, Masciandaro claimed he was a “law-abiding citizen who was simply seeking to exercise his ‘fundamental’ right to self-defense.” handgun regulations” are “presumptively lawful.”

At the time of his arrest, Masciandaro claimed he was a “law-abid-

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ing citizen who was simply seeking to exercise his ‘fundamental’ right to self-defense.” In response, the federal government claimed the challenged firearms regulation was constitutional because it was “narrowly tailored to advance a compelling government interest in public safety” in a public park.

In balancing an individual’s Second Amendment rights against a governmental interest in public safety, the federal appeals court would “take into account the nature of a person’s Second Amendment interest, the extent to which those interests are burdened by government regulation and the strength of the government’s justifications for the regulation.”

A severe burden on the core Second Amendment right of armed self-defense should require strong justification. But less severe burdens on the right, laws that merely regulate rather than restrict, and laws that do not implicate the central self-defense concern of the Second Amendment, may be more easily justified.

While Heller recognized a “fundamental, core right of self-defense in the home by a law-abiding citizen,” once “outside the home,” the federal appeals court acknowledged that “firearm rights have always been more limited because public safety interests often outweigh individual interests in self-defense.” Similarly, in this particular context, the federal appeals court found the challenged regulation would pass constitutional muster “if the government can demonstrate that § 2.4(b) is reasonably adapted to a substantial governmental interest.”

As noted by the federal appeals court, the federal government claimed the challenged firearms regulation was a law regulating firearms in “sensitive places,” as identified in

Heller and therefore was “presumptively constitutional:” Arguing that Daingerfield Island is a sensitive place, the government states that a large number of people, including children, congregate in national parks for recreational, educational and expressive activities. Park land is not akin to a gun owner’s home and is far more analogous to other public spaces, such as schools, municipal parks, governmental buildings and appurtenant parking lots, where courts have found firearms restrictions to be presumptively reasonable.

In response, Masciandaro contended, “the parking lot at Daingerfield Island was not a ‘sensitive place’ like a school or governmental building, as referenced to in Heller.”

In this particular instance, the federal appeals court found “the government has a substantial interest in providing for the safety of individuals who visit and make use of the national parks, including Daingerfield Island...a national park area where

their motor vehicles.” (Emphasis of court) In so doing, the court found § 2.4(b) passed constitutional muster because it “leaves largely intact the right to possess and carry weapons in case of confrontation.”

While it is true that the need to load a firearm impinges on the need for armed self-defense…[Constitutionality in this context] does not require that a regulation be the least intrusive means of achieving the relevant government objective, or that there be no burden whatsoever on the individual right in question.

Accordingly, in promulgating the challenged regulation, the federal appeals court found the federal government could have reasonably concluded that the need for armed self-defense was less acute in a national park, like Daingerfield Island, than in the context of one’s home.

As a result, the federal appeals court concluded 36 C.F.R. § 2.4(b) was constitutional under the circumstances of this particular case. The

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large numbers of people, including children, congregate for recreation.”

Moreover, the federal appeals court found “§ 2.4(b)’s narrow prohibition is reasonably adapted to that substantial governmental interest… to secure public safety.”

As noted by the federal appeals court, § 2.4(b) simply prohibited national park patrons “from possessing loaded firearms, and only then within

federal appeals court, therefore, affirmed the judgment of the federal district court that had rejected Masciandaro’s Second Amendment challenge to this particular regulation of firearms in national parks.

Reasonable Suspicion In the case of Embody v. Ward, 695 F.3d 577; 2012 U.S. App. LEXIS 18399; 2012 FED App. 0293P (6th

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Cir. 8/30/2012), a park ranger detained an armed visitor to a state park. The park visitor, Leonard Embody, claimed his detention by park rangers and local police violated his constitutional rights. Tennessee law

allowed individuals with gun permits to carry handguns in public places “owned or operated by the state” such as “public parks” and “natural areas.” Tenn. Code § 39-17-1311(b) (1)(H). The statute defined a “hand-

gun” as “any firearm with a barrel length of less than 12 inches” that is “designed, made or adapted” to be fired with one hand.

Embody was aware of the applicable state law when he went to Radnor Lake State Natural Area, a state park near Nashville, Tennessee, on a Sunday afternoon. At the time, Embody was dressed in camouflage and armed with a Draco AK-47 pistol slung across his chest. The pistol had an 11.5-inch barrel with a fully loaded, 30-round clip attached to it.

Anticipating his appearance at the park would attract attention, Embody carried an audio-recording device with him. Embody’s appearance did indeed attract the attention of other park visitors. One passer-by spontaneously held up his hands when he encountered Embody. Two park visitors reported to a park ranger that they were “very concerned” about Embody and the AK-47. And an elderly couple reported to a ranger that a man was in the park with an “assault rifle.”

At the time, Embody was dressed in camouflage and armed with a Draco AK-47 piston slung across his chest.

These reports regarding Embody’s appearance at the park prompted two encounters with park rangers.

In the first, Ranger Joshua Walsh approached Embody, asked for his permit and questioned him about the gun. Embody produced a valid per44 Parks & Recreation

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mit, but Walsh could not tell whether the firearm qualified as a legal one under state law. “Technically it’s a handgun,” he told Embody, “but I don’t know why you need it out here,” and, “I’m pretty sure an AK47 is not a handgun.” Uncertain how to proceed, Walsh allowed Embody to continue through the park — for the time being.

Walsh phoned a supervisor, Ranger Steve Ward, for further direction.

Ward in turn called Chief Ranger Shane Petty, who did not believe the AK-47 was a handgun given the description of it. Petty and Ward determined that Ward should undertake a “felony take down” of Embody, disarm him and check the weapon. They called the Metropolitan Nashville Police Department for assistance.

Embody alleged that Ward had violated his Fourth Amendment rights by subjecting him to an unreasonable seizure and his Second Amendment rights by disarming and detaining him...

The officers approached Embody in a parking lot and ordered him to the ground at gunpoint. Without arresting Embody, Ward removed the gun, patted him for other weapons and detained him. When the Nashville police officers arrived, Ward explained his concern that Embody’s weapon was illegal, and the officers conducted a weapons check to determine the gun’s status. Once the officers confirmed that the firearm fit the

definition of a handgun under state law, Ward returned the gun to Embody and released him. The incident lasted about two-and-a-half hours.

Embody sued Ward for damages under 42 U.S.C. § 1983. Section 1983 is the applicable federal civil rights law to seek legal redress when a government official effects a deprivation of one’s constitutional rights.

In his complaint, Embody alleged that Ward had violated his Fourth

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Amendment rights by subjecting him to an unreasonable seizure and his Second Amendment rights by disarming and detaining him for carrying a weapon condoned by state law. The federal district court granted Ward’s motion for summary judgment, effectively dismissing the lawsuit. Embody appealed.

As noted by the federal appeals court, the “question raised by this § 1983 action is whether Ward violated Embody’s rights under the Fourth (and Fourteenth) Amendment, which protects individuals against ‘unreasonable searches and seizures.’”

As cited by the federal appeals court, the following well-known rules

possessed an illegal firearm. The barrel was a half-inch shy of the legal limit, and, when coupled with the thirty-round ammunition clip, it reasonably could look more like a rifle than a handgun. All of this explains the reactions of visitors to the park, who became frightened at the sight of a man in camouflage carrying an AK-47 across his chest, including one couple who reported a man with an “assault rifle.” Making matters worse (or at least more suspicious), Embody had painted the barrel tip of the gun orange, typically an indication that the gun is a toy. An officer could fairly suspect that Embody had used the paint to disguise an illegal weapon.

Further, in the opinion of the appeals court, “the scope of Ward’s investiga-

Embody’s AK-47, carried openly and fully loaded through a state park, gave Ward ample reason for suspicion that Embody posessed an illegal firearm. of criminal procedure would govern the constitutionality of an encounter in which an individual is temporarily detained by law enforcement: Before conducting a temporary investigatory stop, a law enforcement officer must have a “reasonable” suspicion of criminal activity based on “specific and articulable facts” known to the officer at the time of the stop. The length of the stop and the extent of intrusion must be “reasonably related in scope to the circumstances which justified the interference.”

Applying these rules to the facts of the case, the federal appeals court concluded “an officer could reasonably suspect something was amiss.”

Embody’s AK-47, carried openly and fully loaded through a state park, gave Ward ample reason for suspicion that Embody 46 Parks & Recreation

tion also was reasonably related to the circumstances that justified the stop.”

Ordering Embody to the ground at gunpoint was not an excessive intrusion given the existence of a loaded weapon, the risk to officer (or public) safety if Embody had been up to no good and the danger to law enforcement whenever it disarms an individual suspected of crime.

Although the rangers detained Embody for two-and-a-half hours, he points to no lack of diligence by Ward in trying to confirm (or allay) his suspicions. The officers took the time needed to determine whether the AK-47 was a handgun, whether Embody had a permit for it, whether he had illegally modified it and whether he posed any other safety threats.

According to the federal appeals court, the issue was not whether Em-

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body had committed a crime when carrying an AK-47 pistol in a Tennessee state park. Rather, the constitutional question before the court was “whether the officers had reasonable suspicion of a crime, not whether a crime occurred.” Otherwise, the federal appeals court noted that “all failed investigatory stops would lead to successful § 1983 actions.” Under the circumstances of this case, the appeals court found reasonable suspicion of a crime did indeed exist.

Having worked hard to appear suspicious in an armed-and-loaded visit to the park, Embody cannot cry foul after park rangers, to say nothing of passers-by, took the bait. The officers stopped him only as long as it took to investigate the legitimacy of the weapon and, at his insistence, bring the supervisor to the park.

Accordingly, in the absence of an unreasonable search and seizure of his person, the federal appeals court found no Fourth Amendment violation had occurred.

Since Tennessee “state law authorized him to carry this gun in the park,” Embody had also argued that “temporarily disarming him” violated the Second Amendment. The court rejected this argument. According to the appeals court, “no court has held that the Second Amendment encompasses a right to bear arms within state parks.” On the contrary, in the landmark Heller case, the holding of the Supreme Court of the United States was limited to recognizing a Second Amendment right of the individual “to bear arms in the home.”

James C. Kozlowski, J.D., Ph.D., is an attorney and Associate Professor in the School of Recreation, Health, and Tourism at George Mason University (jkozlows@gmu. edu). Webpage with link to Law Review articles archive (1982 to present): http:// mason.gmu.edu/~jkozlows.

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FUTURE LEADERS

Activism Must Be Balanced by Realism

By Gerry Logan, Jr., CPRE

I

s election time your favorite time of year? As a public employee, probably not. Every two to four years, various political affiliations ramp up their efforts to try to convince you that their ideas and programs are significantly different and better than their opponent. Seasoned professionals have generally grown accustomed to this and know which “land mines” to avoid.

Serving in a public position makes your role in the political process all the more challenging…and potentially career affecting.

We have causes that we care deeply about. As a government employee, the reality of having an elected official as a “boss” or a “boss’s boss” creates a unique work environment.

Personal activism must be balanced by realism.

Seasoned professionals have weathered the storm before, but what advice can be offered to young professionals? Young professionals are new to the field, possibly in the middle of their first election cycle, and used to living in a world of endless information and constant access via social media. Which conversations should they recuse themselves from, and what types of things should they not share? These questions were recently posted on the Facebook page, “Mentoring Professional Recre-

Do Not Publicly Endorse Any Candidate or Party Locally Why? Let’s say that a longtime friend is a rising candidate for a prominent local position, like for mayor. As a friend, you do your part and put their signs in your front yard. You even wear “Vote for _____” shirts on casual Friday. Then, the election comes… and your friend does not win. The reality is, that whoever wins the election, you will be working for them.

Publicly supporting a candidate who does not win, can (and most like-

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ators.” From that Facebook thread, and the insightful feedback shared by other professionals*, I have developed a few basic rules for young professionals (or any professional for that matter) to go by to avoid finding themselves with one less friend and, potentially, one less paycheck.

Political activism is a hallmark of citizenship. As private citizens, the desire to support candidates who believe in the same ideals in which we hold value is paramount, even a responsibility. We are all human.

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ly will) lead to tension. Where does that leave you? With significantly less support from city hall at best — potentially out of a job at worst. Publicly, remain apolitical! Do not place the yard sign, do not wear the T-shirt, avoid watercooler talk and do not engage in any political activity on social media. However, you can still be an advocate for issues that affect parks and recreation without damaging yourself. What if a tax increase will mean extra dollars dedicated to park improvements? Then, there’s nothing wrong with being for that increase. Just keep in mind the context in which you are speaking or acting.

Be Very Careful on Social Media It is very easy to put yourself in a potentially career-damaging situation on social media. All it takes is a retweet on Twitter, a Facebook share or even “liking” something on Facebook (which shows up in your friend’s timeline). A common mentality is that our social media is our personal space where we can share our personal thoughts on our personal time. “I will share what I want and it’s not my

media.

list any personal information. On the separate account, you can share and retweet away (within all legal context, obviously #lawyerjargon).

Use the ease of social media to your advantage without harming yourself personally or professionally. Finally, and most importantly, as a government employee, you are held to a higher standard than many others.

Your employer may even have social media policies that govern the manner in which you are able to address government-related issues online.

Fully understanding the reality of your professional work environment and any legal restrictions that may be placed on you is critical to navigating social media during an election cycle.

fault if others get offended!” Sound familiar? If that isn’t you, it is certainly someone you know. If that is your initial reaction, then maybe you should consider creating multiple accounts — one for yourself and visible to anyone, and another that doesn’t

Recuse to Diffuse If a casual conversation suddenly turns into a political debate, politely recuse yourself so that you can diffuse the situation before it escalates.

There’s nothing wrong with simply stating that you’d prefer to avoid that

It is very easy to put yourself in a potentially career-damaging situation on social

type of discussion and remain neutral. Are your friends not buying it?

Just act like you’re getting an important call and abruptly step away — I’ve personally found that method particularly effective. Be aware, be smart and understand that, as a government employee, there are simply some things you cannot do. Remember — “recuse to diffuse” if you find yourself in a political conversation. *Special thanks to Deidre Flores McCarty (Kyle, TX), Christian Moore (Weimar, TX), Tom O’Rourke (Charleston, SC), Tiffany Johnson (Washington, DC), Candi Rawlins (Franklin, TN), Mark Alan Young (Louisville, KY), Roslyn Johnson (Columbia, MD), Cindi Baker Wight (Rutland, VT), and Brian Sanders (Aiden, SC) for their comments on the above-referenced Facebook thread.

Gerry Logan, Jr., CPRE, is the Special Events Supervisor for the city of College Station, Texas, Parks and Recreation Department (glogan@cstx.gov).

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Six Hundred Seconds to a Better You

By Jimmy O’Connor

M

uch has been said about people, particularly children, spending too much time in front of electronic screens and the negative health consequences associated with such activity. We are told to put down the remote, put away our smartphones, get off the couch and get outside. This suggestion, more often a call-to-action, is made with the proposition that the outdoors will make us healthier beings. And in fact, this can be true. Many studies have concluded that nature promotes health and wellness. Beginning with environmental psychologist Roger Ulrich’s 1984 study of hospital patients’ view of outdoor gardens and the positive correlation to reduced complaints of discomfort and shortened recovery time, the health benefits of nature have been demonstrated time after time. NRPA’s park prescription model of physician-prescribed outdoor recreation is built on the knowledge that an individual’s health and well-being can benefit from time spent outdoors.

But, how much time do we need to spend outdoors to benefit from it?

And, is all time spent outdoors equal?

Thanks to recent research by MaryCarol Hunter, associate professor of natural resources at the University of Michigan, we have insight into the answers to these questions. Studying

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the attributes that make an outdoor place more pleasing for human interaction, Hunter’s study, “Designer’s Approach for Scene Selection in Tests of Preference and Restoration Along a Continuum of Natural to Manmade Environments,” published in Frontiers in Psychology, August 19, 2015, draws

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findings important to parks and recreation, families and individuals alike.

How Much Time?

Ten minutes, two to three times per week: This is the amount of time in a natural setting necessary to trigger the healthy benefits associated with being outdoors. The research findings indicate that people who achieve this amount of outdoor time have less stress, increased ability to focus and improved mood and energy levels. This relatively modest investment of time is an opportunity to ensure participants within your recreation programs get outside. Many of your programs, for preschoolers to seniors, can include a walk through the park several times each week, snack served outside or reading time in the shade of a tree.

Just being outside isn’t necessarily enough. Generally, the benefits of time spent outdoors are more closely associated with natural surroundings rather than simply being outside.

While Hunter’s study found that participants derived positive benefits from a variety of settings, from urban green space to private backyards, the specific outdoor features that are attributed to a beneficial response in health have yet to be defined. However, we do know that people respond more favorably to natural settings than highly urbanized and industrial settings. Components of a natural setting include multidimensional vegetation (plants of varying heights, density, color and texture), undulating topography (hills and rock outcrops), non-linear travel corridors (curved paths and streets) and water (fountains and ponds). While contemporary design in the urban/industrial setting is of a desirable palate to many and often includes or mimics natural materials, this more linear and unadorned style does not convey the same benefits as being within natural surroundings.

Jimmy O’Connor is NRPA’s Director of Conservation (joconnor@ nrpa.org).

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Make the Time We are conditioned to think of time spent outdoors as something that must be qualified, as though taking a walk through the park may not be enough. Hunter’s research shows that the benefits of being outdoors may be easier to achieve than previously thought. While this author is not about to suggest spending less time outdoors or diminish the importance of an association with nature, I hope you will find it as encouraging as I do to understand that spending as little as 10 minutes a few times a week in a natural setting is enough to start providing the benefits of being outdoors. Connecting to nature is absolutely necessary for our health and well-being and this research shows how easily this can be achieved. But, we need to make the time, for ourselves and others, to be outside — to be in nature. As Richard Louv, author of Last Child in the Woods, Saving Our Children from Nature-Deficit Disorder puts it, “Time in nature is not leisure time; it’s an essential investment in our children’s health (and also, by the way, in our own).” To frame the issue another way, Louv also writes, “Unlike television, nature does not steal time; it amplifies it.”

I encourage you to build connections to nature across your agency. Look at every program and capital project as an opportunity to deliver a touch-point with the natural world. Those of us in parks and recreation have the places and people to make meaningful bonds with nature that will benefit individuals today and society tomorrow. All it might take is 10 minutes.

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HEALTH AND WELLNESS

Communities Rallying for Health

By Sarah Jovinelly, Alba Sereno, Carmen Llanes-Pulido and Cynthia Rodriguez

A

ustin, Texas is widely recognized as one of America’s healthiest cities. Fifty percent of residents live within walking distance of a park and the city has almost three times the national average of green space acreage per 1,000 residents. However, some Austin communities face a real health crisis, struggling with high rates of obesity and diabetes.

Research shows that in ZIP codes 78744 and 78745, more than 70 percent of elementary school children are obese or overweight. These communities face systemic issues that limit access to healthy food and physical activity.

To start solving this problem, the Michael and Susan Dell Foundation (MSDF) formed a coalition of nonprofits and city agencies to support residents as they advocate for access to healthy lifestyles. The GO! Austin/¡VAMOS! Austin (GAVA) coalition was formed in 2012 and includes eight nonprofits and city agencies and hundreds of residents. The residents have formed multiple teams. In just three years, GAVA has worked with more than 1,600 residents, mak-

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ing improvements to more than 32 community assets.

As a place-based coalition, GAVA’s work is focused on two South Austin ZIP codes: 78744 (Dove Springs) and 78745. Dove Springs, a mostly Hispanic community, has a median income ($36,000) well below the city average ($52,000). Many Dove Springs residents have a strong community identity and have worked together in previous community improvement efforts. Residents of 78745 have an

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almost equal population of Caucasian and Hispanic residents and the average income is well below the city average ($39,000). Green spaces in these areas have been historically underfunded. Even though 11.65 percent of Austin’s population resides in 78744 and 78745, only 6.25 percent of Austin’s Park and Recreation Department (PARD) Capital Improvement Projects have taken place in these communities since 2006. Despite these issues, residents are passionate about improving their communities.

GAVA’s primary goal is to support residents as they take initiative to reduce childhood obesity by improving access to healthy food and physical activity. The true architects of change are the residents — they set all of GAVA’s initiatives, projects and goals.

GAVA staff act as operational support and content experts for resident leaders, guiding them in organizing neighborhood meetings, identifying community needs, building resident teams and navigating collaborations with community partners. Staff members also help leaders develop strategic plans, identify funding opportunities, build community partnerships and collect and interpret data.

GAVA Physical Activity (PA) teams consist of dedicated residents, community leaders and staff from area schools. Currently, GAVA has 11 PA teams, all of which are official city park or creek adopters.

Through their work, teams have established relationships with stakeholders in the city, Austin Independent School District (AISD) and local nonprofits. The partnerships that teams have developed with PARD and Austin Parks Foundation (APF) have been instrumental in helping transform their parks. Many teams have received grants through APF and leveraged additional funds through PARD and other city departments. APF also provides them with ongoing training opportunities and assistance for volunteer workdays.

Houston Elementary School Park In 2013, the Austin Police Activities League (PAL) launched a free soccer league for children in Dove Springs.

Games were held at the Dove Springs Recreation Center and 300 children participated in the league. However, thousands of children in 78744 found it too far to travel because of limited public transportation.

With the help of GAVA organizers, resident leader Gloria Lugo and other parents and faculty at Houston Elementary formed a park adoption team

to explore what it would take to build a full-size soccer field on campus. The school’s park, jointly owned by the city and school district, offered space but had several obstacles.

The team partnered with APF to foster dialogues with AISD and PARD. Residents used local expertise and relationships to reduce costs. A professional plumber who lived in the neighborhood for 30 years agreed to donate labor to install irrigation, bringing the cost down by 80 percent for just equipment and parts. The more the team leveraged from various public and private sources, the more AISD and PARD were willing to invest.

While AISD policy dictated that school parks would not receive water fountains because they were vulnerable to vandalism, resident leaders, undeterred, formed an alliance with PARD, which heard from multiple GAVA schools about lack of water access. PARD pledged to AISD that it would pay for fountains, installation and maintenance if AISD would cover the cost of water. AISD agreed, and a water fountain was installed.

The benefits of this collaboration extend beyond these ZIP codes. The Memorandum of Understanding between PARD and AISD to address the water fountain provided guidelines for cooperative projects and maintenance on all land jointly owned by the two entities. The open communication allows resident teams to continue working collaboratively to remove barriers to physical activity.

Central Williamson Creek Greenbelt In February 2016, the Central Williamson Creek Greenbelt received significant funding from the city of Austin to develop an accessible trail system in 78745. A resident-led

team first developed a trailhead into a community garden and eventually grew it to incorporate gardening plots and nutrition and gardening education for children from their local early childhood center.

Building on the success of the garden, in 2015 several Central Williamson Creek Greenbelt team members set their sights on building access to physical activity by connecting two major assets. They crafted a multiyear plan for connectivity through the greenbelt to Garrison District Park. Residents “ground truthed” the greenbelt plan through block walks and multiple community gatherings hosted in the community garden. The result: consensus, social cohesion and funding! The team obtained signatures from 90 households (100 percent consensus) in favor of its plan, “Connect Garrison,” and convened city staff from 10 different departments to establish feasibility and approval for their plan. In 2016, the city of Austin’s Neighborhood Partnering Program awarded almost $60,000 to develop phase one of Connect Garrison.

Years of groundwork have made GAVA’s successes possible. With established resident-led teams organized around four sectors — school/out-of-school time, food access, physical activity and early childhood — the coalition has produced transformational change for its communities.

Sarah Jovinelly is a Social Work Graduate Fellow for GO! Austin/¡VAMOS! Austin (sarah@marathonkids.org). Alba Sereno is a Community Director for GO! Austin/¡VAMOS! Austin (alba@marathonkids.org). Carmen Llanes-Pulido is a Community Director for GO! Austin/¡VAMOS! Austin (carmen@ marathonkids.org). Cynthia Rodriguez is a Community Organizer for Austin Parks Foundation (cynthia@austinparks.org).

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SOCIAL EQUITY

United States Secretary of the Interior Sally Jewell (crouching, front), visits with members of the Anahuak Youth Sports Association, community leader Raul Macias (second from right), and Robert García (far right), at Los Angeles State Historic Park in 2014.

NPS Rim of the Valley Stretches Park Access and Habitat Connections

By Robert García

T

he National Park Service’s (NPS) final “Rim of the Valley Corridor Special Resources” study (www.nps.gov/pwro/rimofthevalley) recommends Congress expand the Santa Monica Mountains National Recreation Area (SMMNRA) to better serve urban populations while expanding habitat connections in the Los Angeles region. The study recommends adding 177,000 acres, stretching easy access to park lands into the heart of Los Angeles, along the L.A. River and east to the San Gabriel Mountains. NPS’s work is a best-practice example for people and parks to promote NRPA’s Three Pillars: Social Equity, Conservation, and Health and Wellness.

Increasing Access For NPS Director Jon Jarvis, “Access to quality parks, open space and public lands with their many benefits are an essential component of social equity. Just as there are urban ‘food deserts,’ lacking fresh and healthy groceries, there are also communities, especially those in lower-income neighborhoods, that do not have access to parks.”

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David Szymanski, NPS superintendent, says, “The SMMNRA is one of the three most urban NPS units, along with Golden Gate NRA and Harbors of New York NRA. SMMNRA was created to have a national-level investment in outdoor recreation for the region. That was really the goal. Rim of the Valley takes it even further.”

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The NPS study documents that there are not enough parks in the region, especially for children of color and low-income children.

Related health disparities from inactivity include diabetes and obesity. Environmental justice and civil rights laws require agencies to alleviate these concerns.

Congressman Raul Grijalva (DAZ-3), ranking member on the U.S. House Committee on Natural Resources, held a forum in L.A. last year with seven members of Congress on complying with civil rights and environmental justice laws, and diversifying the mainstream environmental movement. NPS sets the standard for federal, state and local park and recreation agencies to do what’s

best for all, not just the lucky few who live near mountains, beaches, rivers and lakes.

Benefiting Communities Community leader Raúl Macias wants NPS to get the work done.

United States Secretary of the Interior Sally Jewell joined Macias and the children of his Anahuak Youth Sports Association along the L.A. River in 2014. What came of that meeting? “Nothing yet,” he sighs.

What would he like to see? “Transit to trails, beaches and mountains.

Youth jobs to start park careers.

Contracts for our families to work with NPS.” Many inner-city children live within an hour of the mountains and beaches, but have never visited either. Director Jarvis vows to change that. “One year ago, President Obama launched Every Kid in a Park, with the goal of getting every fourth grader in the nation on a field trip to a park. We grant them a free pass to all the National Parks for the fourth grader and their family for a year!” Still, that’s not enough if you don’t have access to a car, so Every Kid provides transportation grants to schools that serve low-income students. Superintendent Szymanski says, “SMMNRA will spend $160,000 to bring about 14,000 fourth graders and 3,000 children and their families to their parks — almost all from underserved schools and communities.”

Once people get to the parks, however, they have to feel welcome. NPS is relying on education programs in schools and parks, and diversifying staff through urban youth jobs. NPS will double educational services in 2016. It doubled youth hiring to 22 people last year, and will continue that in 2016, according to Szymanski.

Macias worries about drought and

A view of the Satwiwa Native American Indian Natural Area and Ap (Chumash House) at National Park Service’s Santa Monica National Recreation Area.

climate change. He worries about gentrification. His neighbors fought epic battles for park lands to revitalize the L.A. River and in the Baldwin Hills in historic African-American L.A. As neighborhoods become greener, more desirable and more expensive, current residents will no longer be able to live or even work nearby. Rising rents for homes and small businesses lead to displacement. “It’s all part of social, health, environmental and economic inequality,” Macias says. That’s why Macias and his neighbors advocate for affordable housing for all, green jobs paying a living wage and a truly progressive income tax. Nonprofits led by people of color, where justice and health are part of the culture, must be part of this work.

The NPS studies for the Rim of the Valley, the $1.4 billion U.S. Army Corps of Engineers plan to revitalize the L.A. River, the U.S. Forest Service planning process for the San Gabriel Mountains National Mon-

ument and the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development’s work on parks and housing — these public works give people hope for equitable, healthy communities in which to live and raise children.

What’s next? According to Congressman Adam Schiff (D-CA-28), “Los Angeles is notoriously park-poor.

In expanding the SMMNRA, we will be taking a significant step in helping to rectify this deficiency” for all Angelenos. “The next big step is writing legislation that will reflect both the [NPS] recommendations as well as the wishes of the community. And frankly, the more input we have from the community, the better the legislation we’ll be able to present to Congress.”

Special thanks to the NPS Core Study Team for its assistance with this article.

Robert García is the Founding Director and Counsel of The City Project, a nonprofit environmental justice and civil rights organization based in Los Angeles (rgarcia@ cityproject.org).

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Triple Bottom Line:

Design

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Thoughtful designs that encourage social well-being, physical health and cultural appreciation make for well-loved, well-used parks

Matters

By Samantha Bartram

B

y now, most planners and park and recreation professionals know the design elements that make for a successful park or public space. Open spaces to run, opportunities for play, connectivity, native plantings — all these elements and still others should be included to encourage maximum use by residents and visitors alike. It’s not enough, however, to simply check the box that these amenities are present and accounted for. Today’s most successful parks and public spaces are thoughtfully rendered for the benefit of all ages and abilities; to enhance or improve naturally occurring landscapes; to encourage multi-modal transportation to, from and within a park; and as places for cultural community activities like concerts, farmers markets and health fairs.

NRPA, through its Parks Build Community initiative, has had the pleasure of working with many corporate supporters, planners, municipal leaders and park and recreation professionals to build or revamp six parks spread across the country (www.

nrpa.org/parksbuildcommunity).

Our seventh project, at Trojan Park in Wellston, Missouri, is already well underway. Its scope, amenities and layout were conceived with the help of Forum Studio, a full-service design firm with offices

This rendering imagines what improvements that are part of the St. Louis North Riverfront Redevelopment and Open Space plan, developed with the help of Forum Studio, might look like once completed.

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D E S I G N M AT T E R S Successful public spaces are developed with the user in mind and include features like multi-modal transportation to encourage visits from a wide range of people.

in Chicago, Illinois, and St. Louis, Missouri, and specifically with the talents of Senior Associate/Senior Landscape Architect Neil Eisenberger. The University of Arkansas graduate has more than 20 years of experience designing a wide variety of projects, from small-scale plazas and public spaces to large-scale master plans and urban design efforts.

Parks & Recreation magazine asked Eisenberger to share some of his architectural insights, as well as his considerations for creating engaging and beautiful public spaces.

Parks & Recreation magazine: How do you first approach a park design project — what are some important initial considerations?

Neil Eisenberger: First, understand the client and the users and their desires. At the outset of a park project, we like to do community engagement to determine the needs of the surrounding residents. We know that parks are not just places to recreate, but, more than that, are spaces that when developed correctly can build or strengthen a community.

It’s the “build community” thinking that 58 Parks & Recreation

we share with the citizens — health and fitness, arts and education, and play and social development. This “triple-bottom-line” thinking looks to develop parks with a multitude of recreation and education options for all ages.

P&R: Talk about ways in which the design of a park or public open space can influence how people utilize that space.

Eisenberger: When we develop our parks we think about how they function from the user’s standpoint. For larger parks we like to cluster activities that involve family gathering at the center. We cluster our social and cultural amenities, such as pavilions and gathering spaces, near our play areas for greater visibility of our children — we usually call these areas the “heart of the park.” Then, we plan for a major pedestrian connector that provides users with direct access from one end of the park to the other…we call this connector or promenade the “spine.” We typically place our largest open areas of recreation, like sports fields, outbound or surrounding the heart of the park.

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P&R: What would you say is the most important consideration when designing a park or public open space and what amenities should always be included?

Eisenberger: I feel the most important consideration is to develop it for all ages. A park or open space that links generation to generation and provides opportunities for both is the most successful. Amenities, such as walking loops or fitness areas, that serve to provide health and wellness for the community are a must. For play and social development, features should be present that serve toddlers to teens and offer opportunities for adults to meet as well. Lastly, amenities for arts and education also need to be present — opportunities to share local music or art and landscapes that not only function to capture stormwater and provide butterfly habitat, but also provide opportunities for children to learn about the environment around us.

P&R: Talk about a time when a design failed and had to be revised.

Eisenberger: We’ve had some designs fail when we failed to follow

a community process. When we thought we knew what people wanted, but weren’t dedicated in our community engagement. That’s why all of our public projects follow a process of engagement. Because if the communities feel like they are part of this process, there is more ownership into the final outcome.

P&R: What has been one of your favorite projects to date — what did you enjoy most about it and why?

Eisenberger: I recently finished working on a large redevelopment and open space plan in downtown St. Louis along the Mississippi River. The St. Louis North Riverfront Redevelopment and Open Space plan included development strategies and a conceptual open space plan for the 180-acre area directly north of the Gateway Arch, where the grounds and museum are currently being renovated. The project, funded by Great Rivers Greenway, the city of St. Louis and the St. Louis Development Corporation, reimagines what’s possible within this area of St. Louis.

One of the key development strategies is to extend the green network north from the central riverfront along Leonor K. Sullivan Boulevard and develop a riverfront park to act as a catalyst for redevelopment. During Gathering feedback from the public is an essential step when planning a new build or redesign — engaging future users before a plan is executed helps to ensure the right mix of amenities is included.

the concept design phase, we identified an area of the plan as a riverfront park that would link to existing trails and greenways and look for new opportunities for connections west back into the central business district of St. Louis. The team tracked their design process with public engagement that included multiple meetings with technical advisers, residents and citizen advisory committees, who provided much of the feedback related to the park and open space program.

The idea of riverfront parks stimulating urban redevelopment is not new — river cities across America are looking to redevelop these sometimes-forgotten areas and are envisioning them as places where people can live, work and play. So, we were very excited when Great Rivers Greenway approached the Forum Studio team to do a detailed master plan for the riverfront park and develop a schematic design for an area of around 21 acres. There will be challenges, of course — when you attempt to develop parks adjacent to rivers, especially in this area of the Mississippi River, flooding can occur at any time. We need to develop park amenities and landscapes that are durable and maintainable — a design that takes cues from nature and how it would develop along a river’s

edge. But, there are also opportunities when you develop along a river — especially a river like the Mississippi. The city of St. Louis invested in infrastructure years ago to provide a protected area for vessels to dock in this area of the riverfront. Think about the possibility of having a barge park or a barge beer garden, or the possibility of a cultural exchange of sorts. What if a park barge from Memphis came to dock for a summer barbecue festival or a barge from New Orleans came as part of a jazz festival? As the team works through the schematic design, we will be meeting again with the community to make sure we equitably provide all the recreation, education and social spaces that citizens desire in an exciting new riverfront park.

P&R: You’re currently working with NRPA and our corporate sponsors on the 2016 Parks Build Community project in St. Louis. Trojan Park will be built from scratch — what did you know, right off the bat, that you wanted to include there, and what did you know wouldn’t work at all?

Eisenberger: We knew we wanted a flexible community gathering space as the main feature of the park. We developed a splash plaza and an adjacent shade pavilion that when not used can serve as places for a farmers market, family reunion or seating area for a movie night. We knew, however, given maintenance and safety issues, that a typical restroom facility would not work. There will, however, be a structure that will house portable toilets for user’s comfort. We want Trojan Park to be a success and want to set up the city of Wellston for success.

Samantha Bartram is the Executive Editor of Parks & Recreation magazine (sbartram@ nrpa.org).

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Using Design to

Reduce

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Crime W

hy would you wait for a crime to occur if you have the means to prevent it from happening? Law enforcement agencies often spend too much time and resources on reactionary practices regarding crime instead of implementing preventative measures.

Crime prevention strategies and community policing are evolving concepts that need to be applied by law enforcement agencies and park systems nationwide.

One form of proactive strategy is Crime Prevention Through Environmental Design, or CPTED (pronounced sep-ted). CPTED is a plan or project that uses specific design principles to work toward deterring criminal behavior while positively impacting the image and usage of an area or facility.

How Crime Prevention through Environmental Design (CPTED) can reduce crime in your parks and facilities

By Michael Cannavino, CPRP

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USING DESIGN TO REDUCE CRIME

Not Just for Law Enforcement Agencies CPTED is a technique that can be used ubiquitously. Putting together a CPTED plan involves a variety of departments (marketing, planning and design, maintenance, media relations, executives, etc.) and each specific principle of design will show individually how much the practice can benefit you and your organization.

Instead of focusing efforts on catching and stopping criminals, CPTED focuses on their behaviors and analyzes — “Why are criminals picking this location and committing this crime?” CPTED provides a different style of assessment, designed to work to prevent the crime before it occurs.

This concept is based on the theory of the “Crime Triangle” below — a helpful model that can be used to analyze an issue for a CPTED project or for a proactive approach for trying to work toward preventing the occurrence of a specific crime. In either case, your assessment of the situation begins in the center of the triangle.

In order to make an initial assess-

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ment, you must begin by having an understanding and knowledge of the crime. Start your assessment by asking yourself questions such as: • Do you feel there is an individual committing this crime, or a group?

• When is this crime occurring?

• Is it day or night, or in a specific timeframe?

• Who is being affected by this crime? Who is the victim?

Once you have a strong understanding of the situation, you can

have to be available in order for a crime to occur. However, crime prevention is possible if at least one of the elements is removed.

The Actors and the Principles CPTED defines three types of “actors” on whom you should focus your attention: 1. Normal Actors — In parks and recreation, these are the frequent visitors, volunteers, runners, hikers, fishermen/women, bicyclists,

Instead of focusing efforts on catching and stopping criminals, CPTED focuses on their behaviors and analyzes — “Why are criminals picking this location and committing this crime?” begin to analyze how to stop it. This understanding relates to the outer edges of the Crime Triangle: the victim, the suspect or the location. The understanding of the Crime Triangle is that all three pieces of the triangle

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program attendees, who use a facility. You want to focus your efforts on assuring that your normal users continue to be positively engaged with your organization.

2. Observer Actors — These actors are still considered to be positive users and are as important as normal actors, with a casual inclination. Designing space for observers is essential and equally important to ensuring the safety of those merely passing through or just enjoying a lunch break.

3. Abnormal Actors — This refers to negative users and where attention needs to be paid in order to develop a plan to protect and maintain a specified location. It is important not to focus on the individual, but on what about the location is drawing the abnormal actors to commit criminal activity in that location.

According to the National Crime Prevention Council (NCPC), there are four main principles to CPTED: 1. Access Control — Using the lay-

out of your environmental design to physically limit the access and egress points. This practice can also guide users, both positive and negative, to a specific direction within the park. Controlling access makes negative users feel uncomfortable and less apt to commit a crime.

2. Surveillance — Involves the elimination of physical barriers that inhibit the casual observer from scrutinizing behaviors inside a space. Surveillance is enhanced by lighting, proper placement of shrubbery, well-placed windows, elimination of physical barriers, and architecture and social commitment.

3. Territorial Reinforcement — This concept involves facilitating the process of turning an area over to legitimate users who will take ownership of the space and care for it. This helps eliminate or reduce nuisance behaviors because bad actors using the space receive increased monitoring.

3a. Activity Support — Probably the biggest advocate, especially to a parks system, is the amount of space you have to add positive actors to your park. Get creative!

Engage with your community and get a feel for what they want to see or do, and implement it into your project.

4. Maintenance and Management — Keeping areas “clean and green” is the minimum standard for scheduled maintenance. Have a plan and take the extra steps to create a clean, well-kept area for your patrons. Do not let things like graffiti, garbage and/or damaged property be seen by your positive users.

Have staff locate, clean and fix issues before your park is open or highly populated.

“There are strong overlaps and synergies among the four CPTED

principles,” says the NCPC. “These have been identified separately for convenience and clarity of understanding. In practice, it may be useful to see all four principles as different facets of a single technique for dealing with the security of the physical environment.”

users to the area, and they will have a sense of pride and be invested in seeing that it stays in good condition.

• Use Your Community — Most communities have some kind of nonprofit group that is dedicated to the stability and future of the com-

It is important to find the proper balance between the desire for seclusion and the aspect of safety.

Overcoming Obstacles It is especially difficult for a park district to incorporate some of these principles for a variety of reasons, but it is possible to be successful. If you have a 5,000-acre park space, do not try to fix your issues with one giant project. Break your park into segments and focus your efforts.

It is important to find the proper balance between the desire for seclusion and the aspect of safety. Many people enjoy the parks as a way to reconnect with nature and enjoy the peace of being alone outside. If you wipe out half the trees in your park to have open sightlines throughout an entire hiking trail, some of that connection may be lost.

Most park districts will not have the funding to generate huge capital projects to fulfill CPTED requirements. Here are a few ways you can attain your goal: • Get Creative! — If you are having an issue with graffiti in a certain area, reach out to local artists and turn the area into something artistic. Have them create a mural in the area where the problem is occurring. They will use their own supplies, it will add positive

munity. These organizations can help generate revenue through additional grant funding or fundraising. Get them involved and keep everyone engaged!

• Cultivate Sponsors and Donors — Let people in the community know your plans! A local company or private donor may want to get involved. For example, you may be working to fix a picnic area where a couple who are donors became engaged, and they want to front the funding for the project. Remind people why they love the park and why they want to preserve it.

CPTED will never serve as the only source of crime prevention or take the place of traditional policing strategies, but implementing the procedures can lead to further success for your organization. For further information about CPTED, contact Michael Cannavino at michael.cannavino@gmail.com.

Michael Cannavino, CPRP, is Assistant Terminal Agency Coordinator and Communications Training Officer for Cleveland Metroparks Ranger Department (michael.cannavino@gmail.com).

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Designing Visitor with the

in Mind – the Next Stage for Trojan Park

By Paula Jacoby-Garrett

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his year, NRPA will complete its seventh Parks Build Community (PBC) project with the creation of Trojan Park in Wellston, Missouri.

The program selects disadvantaged or underserved neighborhoods in the host city of the NRPA Annual Conference, and either upgrades an existing park facility that is distressed, or installs a new facility if none currently exist. This year, NRPA is proud to create a new park facility in Wellston, located just north of St. Louis, Missouri. Once a thriving business community, this area has seen both a loss of economic opportunities and municipal services.

“We are proud, hardworking, loyal, knowledgeable people that are working to improve the quality of life for all our citizens, children, employees and business owners,” said Wellston’s enthusiastic, driven new Mayor Nathaniel Griffin.

Trojan Park is part of a broader effort by Great Rivers Greenway to link parks throughout St. Louis with more than 600 miles of greenways. The park will be located along a 7-mile section of the St. Vincent Greenway,

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linking Forest Park to the University of Missouri — St. Louis campus.

Great Rivers Greenway Project Manager, Megan Riechmann, believes the location is key: “I really feel like it is going to be a catalyst for the neigh-

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borhood. We are very excited about the visibility of this park and hope that it creates an entrance feel for the Wellston community.”

Design Great Rivers Greenway has teamed up with Forum Studio for the design of Trojan Park. Public meetings began in 2014 and were facilitated by their nonprofit partner, Beyond Housing. These meetings have defined the needs and desires of the Wellston community for both the St. Vincent Greenway and Trojan Park and have helped determine that the No. 1 priority for citizens is facilities for all members of the community,

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DESIGNING FOR THE VISITOR

regardless of age. “We are excited about the range of people who are interested in the ways they can interact in this space. The designers have taken [intergenerational use] into consideration by providing benches and places for folks to sit and watch [children playing] knowing that there will be grandparents there as often as there might be parents,” said Great Rivers Greenway’s Director of Communications and Outreach, Emma Klues.

Forum Studio has been focused on combining the needs and wants of the Wellston community with the park amenity donations to create a design that both complements and enhances the vision and future of the city. For PlayCore’s Vice-President of Corporate Marketing and Communications, Anne-Marie Spencer, this is about more than donating equipment: It’s about matching their materials with the design. “We are working closely with the architect and planners to understand their vision. They’re the eyes on the ground and have an amazing vision for the space.”

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“When we looked at the park and all the wishes the community had, it wasn’t just for children’s play — it was also for the whole community, from health and fitness, and arts and education to the social development that could happen for an adult or a child,” said Forum Studio’s Senior Associate and Landscape Architect, Neil Eisenberger. The park design includes play areas for different age groups with buffers against the adjacent street, fitness equipment, water play, a basketball court, open space, a butterfly garden and a rain garden. “In the center, we have this area called the gathering spot, right in the

Trojan Park is part of a broader effort by Great Rivers Greenway to link parks throughout St. Louis with more than 600 miles of greenways.

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heart of the playground area,” Eisenberger continued, for people to congregate. “We wanted to make sure there was something for all ages.”

Play Equipment Located in the center of the park, the play equipment varies by use and age with something for everyone.

For the youngsters (ages 2-5), BCI Burke is providing a dynamic, interactive play structure that is both appealing and age appropriate. “When we looked at the space and overall design of the park, we saw a lot of circular geometry, and we wanted to display our structure in the center of the circle,” said Burke Landscape Designer Humberto Caballero. “It is important that the space flows but also offers some surprises,” he added. “That is why we selected the Ara Shade. It allowed us to incorporate colors, new, interesting shapes, and gave height to the play space so kids could see it from afar and get excited about playing there.”

Bringing in nature play, Playworld has donated its Branch Out play equipment, inspired from climbing trees. “This design is brand new. The theory behind its design is to merge classic kids-playing-in-trees play experiences with contemporary equipment that incorporates inclusion and safety,” said Playworld’s Director of Sales, Kevin Cook. “The central piece is like a giant tree fort, and it invites kids to play on it in all kinds of ways, just like a tree in somebody’s backyard or a tree in the woods. You can play on it, you can play around it, you can be inside it, and you can climb it in a variety of ways. [It has] hundreds of undefined routes of play.” And, for Cook and his colleagues at Playworld, play is the operative word: “We believe the world needs play — it’s that simple.”

Bringing both play and games to

This Forum Studio rendering conceptualizes what Trojan Park will look like once construction is complete.

Trojan Park is GameTime, a division of PlayCore, whose company mission is to “build communities through play.” “We’ve seen the amazing effect that a space to play can have on children and families, providing a gathering space, a place to get exercise and fresh air, and a space to make friends and socialize,” Spencer said. One of their newest designs, the IONiX play system incorporates research from leading scientists and educators to create an engaging, interactive system that doubles as an outdoor art piece. Their ShadowPlay Canopy contains colored translucent panels that transmit colorful patterns on the playground surface, providing further sensory interaction for the child. GameTime is also donating swing equipment that includes two traditional solo swings and a newly designed, and first-of-its-kind, tandem face-to-face swing called the Expression Swing. This swing allows for an infant and parent (or grandparent) to swing together while facing and interacting with each other.

Adding music to the project is Freenotes Harmony Park, which is supplying instruments uniquely designed for the outdoor playground environment. These fully functional, tuned instruments bring a unique addition to Trojan Park that incorporates multisensory play with sculptural beauty. “Our instruments are great for everyone, any age, any ability so they serve the entire community from children to the elderly. Research has shown that music in communities is beneficial in many ways, from reducing vandalism to creating healthier, happier community members,” according to a Freenotes spokesperson.

Fitness and Recreation Through the public outreach process, one need came up again and again: The residents of Wellston wanted to have a place to get fit. Forum Studio acknowledged their wishes and incorporated fitness into the park design and overall theme. Trojan Park will be fully outfitted for fitness and recreation with a variety of exercise

equipment and a full-court, outdoor basketball court.

Greenfields Outdoor Fitness, Inc., known for providing equipment to a variety of user types, including schools, parks and even our U.S. military, is donating the outdoor fitness equipment for Trojan park. For Greenfields’ President and CEO, Sam Mendelsohn, “Getting involved with this particular project is part of a larger partnership with NRPA to help communities nationwide. Parks Build Community is just one of the ways we achieve this goal. By providing the opportunity to exercise at no cost, we literally help improve the health and wellness of tens of thousands of people each and every day, regardless of age or ability.” The installed equipment will include their patent-awarded, wheelchair-accessible fitness equipment that can be used by all visitors. “We do what we do because we believe that every community can benefit from more motivational and accessible opportunities to stay fit,” Mendelsohn said.

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Trojan Park’s full-court basketball court will be provided to the community with the help of SportsPlay Equipment, Inc., which donated the backboards for the court. “When we discovered that the Parks Build Community initiative had chosen Wellston, Missouri, this year, it was an easy decision for SportsPlay to support the effort,” said SportsPlay’s Director of Marketing, Scott Meyer. “After all, our St. Louis manufacturing plant is literally within two miles of the new Trojan Park location — we’re part of the local community — and we’re neighbors!” This year, SportsPlay is celebrating its 20th anniversary of providing sports equipment to the public. “We could not imagine a better way to celebrate our success than by giving back to our own local St. Louis area community,” Meyer added.

The community is looking forward to having a full-sized court to play basketball on and reignite some Trojan spirit. Wellston has a long

history of success with its basketball team. Mayor Griffin, reflecting on their team states, “The Wellston Trojans was the name of our highly recognized, successful school team mascot of the Wellston School District. [They] had more pride and

The park design includes play areas for different age groups, fitness equipment, water play, a basketball court, open space, a butterfly garden and a rain garden. work ethics than any school in the state, won three state titles and had seven state appearances over ten league titles, and over fifteen district championships.”

Splash Plaza A global leader in the design and manufacturing of waterpark structures, WhiteWater West is providing a multipurpose splash-pad that can be used for play and cooling off during the day and then be available in the evening as seating for events such as movie-in-the-park nights. “Being able to bring play and interactivity to families in communities who need a place to play together is an initiative we will continue to stand behind,” said WhiteWater’s Vice President and General Manager Parks and Recreation, Steve Brinkel. “We believe in the importance of play and exploring outside as a part of childhood development and maintaining a healthy lifestyle.” The splash-pad will include geyser and flush jets, and both square and straight solid stream jets.

Site Furnishings Dero, a division of PlayCore, is providing three hoop bike racks for secure bike storage while visiting the park and a Fixit bike repair system.

The unit includes all the tools necessary to perform basic bike repairs and maintenance. Fixit’s tools are securely attached to a stand with stainless-steel cables and tamper-proof fasteners.

Hanger arms allow cyclists to hang their bikes, facilitating free movement of the pedals and wheels while making adjustments.

Lighting Musco Lighting is providing sports lighting poles and luminaries, as well as park moonlight poles and luminaries to Trojan Park. This donation will provide for increased use of the park, allowing evening and nighttime events and providing security. “Our Light-Structure Green LED system provides light on the court and enhances the aesthetics of the park with specially designed moonlighting,”

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said Musco Lighting’s Vice President of Sales, Jeff Rogers. “In keeping with NRPA’s mission for conservation, the system is significantly more efficient than typical HID lighting and provides a more focused light on the park without shining light on the surrounding neighborhood.”

What’s Next?

Things are coming together, but there is still work to be done. “We are in a crunch time right now, where we are figuring out the fine details and the engineering so we can get out to bid,” said Forum Studio’s Eisenberger. There’s still time for you to get involved or visit the site during the NRPA Annual Conference in St. Louis, October 5-8, 2016. Email Gina Mullins-Cohen at gcohen@nrpa.org for more information.

Paula Jacoby-Garrett is a freelance writer based in Las Vegas, Nevada (paula.jacoby. garrett@gmail.com).

Thank You to Our 2016 Parks Build Community Donors and Partners • ANOVA Furnishings • BCI Burke

• Greenfields Outdoor Fitness

• Connor Sport Court Intl.

• Kay Park Recreation Corp.

• Dero (a division of

• Musco Lighting

Playcore) • Forum Studio

• Pilot Rock • Playworld

• Freenotes Harmony Park • Soofa Inc. • GameTime (a division of • Southwest Airlines Playcore) • Great Rivers Greenway

• SportsPlay Equipment • WhiteWater West

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NRPA Update Becoming Essential

By Samantha Bartram

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he language used around finance has created an environment where there is a lot of mysticism…today, we want to demystify,” Dev Pathik, founder and CEO of The Sports Facilities Advisory, said during his opening remarks at NRPA’s most recent Innovation Lab in San Diego. The theme, “Why Wall Street Cares About Parks and Rec,” set the stage for an event focused on financing — specifically the best practices for seeking it and most impactful arguments that can be made in order to sway potential purse-string-holders to make an investment. Bottom line, Pathik said: “The case must be made that the service you’re championing is essential to the well-being of your community.”

Connecting the Dots, Making the Argument Perhaps the most popular inroad to soliciting outside financing has been the demonstration of economic impact.

NRPA’s own recently released Economic Impact of Local Parks study (www. nrpa.org/parkeconreport) highlighted the significant contributions of parks and recreation in municipalities across the country, noting the industry as a whole is responsible for some $140 billion in economic activity each year.

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Another is to tout the importance of equity of access, making the argument that residents who live near a park or park-like amenities are healthier — both mentally and physically — and enjoy increased property values, thereby buoying the entire community. Accessible parks, recreation and open space amenities are also attractive to businesses looking to relocate or set up shop in a given locale, bringing an expanded tax base, jobs and prestige in tow.

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Hard data related to these areas does grab the attention of financers and budget-makers alike, but Pathik urged Innovation Lab attendees to look for deeper, long-term connections that could indicate an even broader impact. Inspired by the work of Dr. Bruce Y. Lee, director of operations research at Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health’s International Vaccine Access Center, Pathik suggested one such connection was through public health.

“When we produce a feasibility study, economic impact analysis, etc., the conversation is a money conversation,” Pathik said. “It’s not about equity or access in that conversation.

When we find ourselves in front of commissions, councils, etc., we want to have something quantifiable to say about importance of access beyond economic impact.

“Dr. Lee used U.S. Census Bureau data and did a population analysis looking 20 years out at the BMI of a city…if you live within half a mile of four fast-food restaurants, you are twice as likely to die as someone who lives near two. Proximity to parks, though, encourages walking, so those people are more likely to live longer.

You can imagine what this does to the conversation when it shifts from financial cost to what [investment in parks and recreation] does to the health of a community.”

Pathik pointed to potential longterm savings in the health sector that would be precipitated by greater

availability of the sorts of amenities that get people up, moving, walking, exercising and socializing — amenities like those routinely offered by park and recreation departments.

Indeed, companies like Greenfields Outdoor Fitness, helmed by CEO Sam Mendelsohn, are eager to sign on to such concepts and often cite ancillary health benefits as reasons for including their products — outdoor fitness equipment like chest and vertical press machines, stair climbers, core strengthening machines and others — in park renovations or new builds. “Our goal is to help every local park offer this social, multi-generational fitness opportunity to its community members, thereby filling an essential role in our society and cementing the public park as a relevant feature of the modern landscape,” Mendelsohn said.

Promoting the idea of a deeper connection between healthcare costs, health impacts and park and recreation assets advances the argument that such assets are “essential” to communities, and thus should be held to somewhat different standards than investments that could be expected to generate 100 percent cost recovery. It also brings more partners to the table, giving wary financers a better sense of security. “That’s the beginning of checking the boxes to see if something is financeable,” Pathik said.

Essential and Financeable It’s helpful to remember, especially when approaching investment banks or other holders of investible capital, that Wall Street is in the business of “selling you money,” as Pathik puts it. “Wall Street makes money selling you money — that is why they care and that is the basics of it. If [the

amenity or service you’re attempting to finance] is not essential, if you don’t have a broad stakeholder group, if you don’t have some revenue or way of funding it, it’s very difficult to get the attention of Wall Street.”

So, what does it mean to be essential? Dan Gilman of Jefferies Global Investment Bank, which offers products and services in investment banking, equities, fixed income and wealth management in the Americas, Europe and the Middle East and Asia, shed some light, saying, “We ask a couple questions right off the bat — particularly for parks and recreation, we want to know who is going to use [an amenity], whether it will be essential, and, the biggest thing: Does this generate revenue?”

A project needn’t generate piles of revenue or even recoup 100 percent of its initial cost to get financing, so long as investors understand it’s an essential part of a community, some reliable partners and money are initially brought to the table and some amount of revenue is reasonably expected to be generated. Beyond Wall Street there are scores of additional funding partners that can help bring essential park and recreation projects to fruition, including community redevelopment agencies, foundations, local banks seeking to fulfill community reinvestment act obligations, developers and others. Bob Cornwell, formerly of CSG Advisory Group in San Francisco and who lent his voice to an afternoon panel in San Diego, provided an overview of common mistakes made by both the public and private sector when coming to the table on such collaborative arrangements. He also emphasized the importance of ensuring a voice from the park and recreation field be included from the start of any potential

development or redevelopment project, so that the many benefits — and essential contributions — of parks and recreation can be realized by all involved. “Leverage your assets,” Cornwell advised. “Everybody wants what parks have right now.”

To view presentations from the San Diego Innovation Lab, including Cornwell’s information on common mistakes and tips for forming useful and lucrative public/private partnerships, go to www.nrpa.org/innovation-labs-san-diego-california.

Samantha Bartram is the Executive Editor of Parks & Recreation magazine (sbartram@ nrpa.org).

Innovation Lab: Boston Following our most recent sojourn to sunny San Diego, NRPA is next headed to Boston, Massachusetts, to host an Innovation Lab on data and technology. May 12-13, NRPA and several high-level park and recreation professionals, as well as many partners in our industry, will converge to discuss the latest trends in technology and how best to leverage the data we collect about our programs, facilities, initiatives and special events.

For the latest information on registration and to access archived information from past Innovation Labs, visit www.nrpa.org/innovation-labs.

Also, be sure to check our Open Space blog (www.nrpa.org/blog) for an upcoming post by NRPA Vice President of Urban and Government Affairs, Kevin O’Hara, focused on Boston Mayor Marty Walsh’s Office of New Urban Mechanics, which seeks to explore how new technology, designs and policies can strengthen the partnership between residents and government.

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NRPA Update

Americans Continue to Show Widespread Support for Parks and Recreation

By Kevin Roth, Ph.D.

T

survey respondents feel their communities benefit “a great deal from local parks” while another 29 percent believe their communities benefit “somewhat” from local parks. other 44 percent occasionally visit A key takeaway here is not only do The latest NRPA study, Americans’ a local park. large majorities of people use and supBroad-Based Support for Local Recre• 83 percent of Americans indicate port their parks, one does not have to ation and Park Services (www.nrpa. they personally benefit from their be a park user to agree that they perorg/americans-support-parks), finds local parks. Forty-six percent of sonally, and their communities as a this to be true — a powerful talking survey respondents say they personwhole, benefit from their local parks. point for park and recreation profesally benefit “a great deal” from their Four in five non-park users agree that sionals to use as they make the case local parks while another 37 percent communities benefit from local parks, for parks in their communities. say they “somewhat” benefit from including almost half of non-park Last year, NRPA commissioned their parks. users who view their communities as Penn State University’s (PSU) An• 92 percent of Americans agree that greatly benefiting from their parks. drew Mowen, Alan Graefe, Austin their communities benefit from loIt is also striking that overwhelming Barrett and Geoffrey Godbey to folcal parks. More than three in five majorities of Americans see the benelow up on a landmark 1992 NRPA/ fits that local park areas provide PSU study that found rofor their communities regardless bust support for local parks. of their age, gender, level of edAlmost 1,200 randomly ucation, income, marital status, selected U.S. adults compolitical affiliation, household pleted a questionnaire that formation and employment staclosely followed the queries, tus. In a time when it seems like wording and order of the Americans agree on few things, 1992 survey. And, while althe passion for parks is almost most a quarter of a century universal. separated the two studies, Perhaps more remarkable their respective findings are is that strong support for local practically identical. public parks found in this study matches the key conclusions in Widespread Support the study conducted in 1992. for Parks In the ensuing 24 years, much The following three numhas changed in our society. For bers show just how pervaAmericans’ Broad-Based Support for example, America has become sive is the support for parks: Local Recreation and Park Services: older, better educated, more • 70 percent of Americans Results From a Nationwide Study racially/ethnically diverse and say they are users of their more urbanized. During the local parks. More specifisame time span, social interaccally, a quarter of survey tion and entertainment options respondents frequently have grown exponentially, with use their parks with anhe fact that you are reading this article suggests that you are passionate about parks and recreation. But, did you know that most Americans, spanning across virtually every demographic group including age, income and political affiliation, share your love of public parks?

National Recreation and Park Association | 1

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the advent and widespread adoption of the Internet, social media, 500-channel cable TV and on-demand media. These developments have broadened the definition of recreation beyond what could have been imagined a quarter of a century ago.

If anything, the demographic, societal and technological changes appear to have heightened the need for the many benefits of parks; namely, being an important contributor to health and wellness, a communal place where people of all ages and social strata can interact with each other and a place that protects and preserves high-priority conservation areas. Finally, unlike virtually every other form of recreation, access to local parks is ubiquitous and not subject to high entrance fees or other qualifications.

Americans See NRPA’s Three Pillars as the Local Parks’ Priorities The evolving nature and needs of the U.S. population are significant challenges facing our nation; they also impact local recreation and park services. These challenges span from a sedentary lifestyle that leads to obesity and other health problems to environmental and economic sustainability.

Park and recreation agencies are a critical part of the solution because they provide their communities and their residents with a number of essential services and benefits. NRPA summarizes the key priorities for local park and recreation agencies in its Three Pillars of Conservation, Health and Wellness, and Social Equity.

Americans see their local parks and recreation agencies as leaders in these three areas and concur that the NRPA Three Pillars are top priorities for their local park agencies. The percentage of survey respondents agreeing that the Pillars are key priorities include:

Conservation: • Conserving the natural environment (86 percent) • Protecting open space (80 percent) Health and Wellness: • Offering facilities and services to improve physical health (84 percent) • Offering facilities and services to reduce stress and improve mental health (80 percent) Social Equity: • Ensuring that quality programs and facilities are equally accessible to all members of the community (88 percent) • Addressing the needs of disadvantaged populations (77 percent)

A majority of Americans use local park and recreation services, agreeing that they are a great benefit to their communities.

Local Parks: A Great Value Four in five Americans agree that the services offered by their local park and recreation agencies are worth the average amount of $70 per person spent each year. Support for local parks and recreation through taxes increases with age, education level, income and whether the person has ever participated in a park and recreation activity. Furthermore, twothirds of people who never visited parks or participated in organized programs agree that these services are worth the $70 per person collected in local taxes each year.

In fact, many Americans want more of their tax dollars dedicated to their

local public parks. Two in five survey respondents are willing to pay even more than the 2015 U.S. average of $70 per person in local taxes to support their local and regional park systems.

How to Use These Results Much as they had a quarter of a century ago, a majority of Americans use local park and recreation services, agreeing that they are a great benefit to their communities. The support is strong among virtually every segment of our nation, regardless of age, income, household formation and even political affiliation.

The implications of these findings are clear. Despite the tight fiscal environment, Americans agree that local, state and national leaders need to dedicate financial resources to support, sustain and expand local park and recreation agencies. The fact is parks are vital contributors to our communities, providing unique services and offerings well worth the investments made by taxpayers.

Americans’ strong support for local parks is magnified further when considering the fact that local and regional public parks contribute significant economic activity to their communities. As demonstrated in another recent NRPA report, The Economic Impact of Local Parks (www.nrpa.org/ parkeconreport), park and recreation agency spending generated almost $140 billion in economic activity and almost 1 million jobs in 2013 alone.

Investment in public parks aids in the progress for greater conservation, health and wellness, and social equity while also bringing economic prosperity to towns, cities and regions throughout the United States.

Kevin Roth, Ph.D., is NRPA’s Vice President of Research (kroth@nrpa.org).

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NRPA Update

Join the World of Cooperative Purchasing

U

.S. Communities is the leading national local government purchasing cooperative that offers contracts competitively solicited by and on behalf of public agencies nationwide. U.S. Communities is jointly sponsored by the Association of School Business Officials International (ASBO), the National Association of Counties (NACO), the National Governors Association, the National League of Cities (NLC) and the United States Conference of Mayors (USCM).

NRPA Premier Members can register with U. S. Communities to gain access to the thousands of quality products from multiple suppliers available through its contracts. Their vast array of offerings will meet an agency’s needs. The contracts include categories such as park and playground equipment, athletic equipment, facilities products and solutions, office supplies and much more! By registering for the program, you are neither committing to participate nor binding your agency in any manner — your agency will still have the ability to make choices outside of U.S. Communities.

What are the advantages to participating in U.S. Communities?

• All contracts are competitively solicited by a lead public agency • Best supplier overall government pricing • No user fees • Sponsored by 90+ state and regional organizations • Broad range of high-quality products relating to the park and recreation field • Third-party audits performed • Benchmarking analysis • Oversight by key public purchasing professionals • Step-by-step guide to helping you buy green Visit www.nrpa.org/Membership/Endorsed-Business-Provider/U-S-Communities to learn more and register today! Contact Hayley Herzing at hherzing@nrpa.org with any questions.

— Hayley Herzig, NRPA’s Membership Programs Manager

Test Your Park and Recreation Knowledge The following question is a sample Certified Park and Recreation Professional (CPRP) examination question.

A park and recreation agency identifies the level of maintenance that is acceptable through which of the following?

A. The size of the maintenance budget B. The frequency of maintenance inspections C. The qualifications of maintenance employees hired D. The establishment of maintenance standards Calling all beginning to mid-level professionals! The Certified Park and Recreation Professional (CPRP) is the national standard for all park and recreation professionals who want to be at the forefront of their profession.

For more information on the CPRP certification program, please visit www.nrpa.org/cprp.

Answer: D. The establishment of maintenance standards

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Member Spotlight: Trace Stevens, CPRP

T

race Stevens represents the archetypal story of the parks and recreation career. He took his first job in the field at the ripe old age of 16, making $2.15 an hour as a summer day camp instructor at the Park Services Department in his hometown, Paducah, Kentucky.

Stevens worked that job for the next eight years, at the same time graduating high school and matriculating from Murray State College. He strayed from parks and recreation briefly — to teach sixth-grade social studies and work as a youth counselor — only to return to Paducah Park Services when a fulltime position opened up in the same department where he started his career years earlier. Today, Stevens is two years into his directorship at Henderson, Kentucky, Parks and Recreation, married to his college sweetheart and the father of two boys who “keep us pretty busy,” he says. Parks & Recreation asked Stevens to talk about his passion for the field and where he sees parks and recreation headed for the future.

Parks & Recreation magazine: What do you feel are the most important challenges facing the field of parks and recreation today?

Trace Stevens: The public’s lack of understanding of what people in this field do is a major challenge.

The public understands that the grass in the park has to be mowed, but that seems to be the extent of most people’s knowledge. Advocacy for parks and recreation and education of the public on the benefits and duties of most park professionals are a constant need.

People are always shocked to learn that we handle things like cemeteries, facility maintenance, pavement repairs and patching in the parks, pool maintenance, afterschool programs and so many varied duties. I really feel a great sense of accomplishment when I can represent the parks and recreation profession as just that — a profession.

P&R: Talk about one of your greatest professional successes.

Stevens: At the city of Paducah, I was a part of the committee that raised funds and constructed the

first public inclusive playground in the state. There were other inclusive playgrounds at the time, but they were at schools, rehab facilities and army bases. The $250,000 playground was a big undertaking for a community of our size and required a lot of fundraising, coordination and community outreach. Anytime I’ve been back to Paducah and have gone through the park that playground is practically standing room only. It’s become a landmark in the community in just a short time.

P&R: What does the future of parks and recreation look like to you?

Stevens: Like most other professions, technology is shaping the way we do business. From cloud-based recreation programs that have taken the place of the big “three-ring binders” that sat at the front desk, to GPS-mapped tree inventories and social media marketing, the profession is moving toward a more technical foundation. Another factor is the linking of tourism to parks and recreation. Sport, eco and historical tourism are segments of recreation that are being embraced more each

year. The profession is quite different than what it was when I started, when professionals were focused on providing recreation opportunities for the members of only their community.

P&R: What drives you most as a park and recreation professional?

Stevens: I really feel this profession touches so many peoples’ lives in ways they don’t realize, and making those interactions positive simply improves life. There are so many everyday challenges — parks and recreation should be there to make life easier. I enjoy being part of an organization that has a part in providing beautiful locations to create lifelong memories — a marriage in a park, introducing someone to a sport or activity that they enjoy for the rest of their life, or providing that spot for peaceful reflection and remembrance of a loved one in a local cemetery. That kind of opportunity to positively affect others really pushes me to do my job well.

— Samantha Bartram, Executive Editor of Parks & Recreation magazine

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NRPA Update

Hosts Needed for Scotts MLB Annual Pitch Hit & Run

By Kelly Peterson

S

cotts MLB Pitch Hit & Run (PHR) is celebrating its 20th consecutive year as the Official Skills Competition of Major League Baseball, and NRPA is again encouraging departments to host a free local event. MLB PHR is an easily administered one-day program that provides boys and girls ages 7 to 14 with the opportunity to showcase their pitching, hitting and running abilities in either the baseball or softball division. Each year, 720 youngsters nationwide advance to one of 30 Team Championships at every Major League ballpark, with the top 24 competitors earning an all-expense paid trip to the National Finals at MLB All-Star.

Pitch Hit & Run is an exciting, educational program for kids of all skill levels. From the All-Star players in your town to those just learning the sport, PHR brings families together as a community to enjoy our country’s national pastime. For some lucky youngsters, your local event is just the starting point to an experience of a lifetime.

Following is a list of boys and girls who last summer began their journey by competing in local games hosted by their community’s parks and recreation department and went on to become the 2015 PHR National Finalists:

• Lilly Stewart — Greenfield Parks, Indiana • Abby Braby — city of Tipton, Missouri • Haley Loffer — city of Hayden, Idaho • Madison Hayes — Chattanooga Parks and Recreation, Tennessee • Emma Kleinsek — La Crosse Parks and Recreation, Wisconsin • Ethan Manock —Wahpeton Parks and Recreation, North Dakota • Gregory Palamountain — Contra Costa Co. Parks and Recreation, California

• Trevor Cogley — city of Hayden, Idaho • Andruw Criswell — Murray-Calloway Co. Parks and Recreation, Kenucky • Chase Jans —Blue Valley Recreation, Kansas The city of Hayden, Idaho, had two youngsters compete at the PHR National Finals in 2015. While Haley Loffer and Trevor Cogley were shagging balls at the Home Run Derby, local and sectional host Suzanne Cano was proud to know that it was the efforts of her recreation department that aided in making it happen.

Cano describes the PHR program as “one of the easiest and most fun events Hayden runs.”

In the Midwest, the Kansas City Royals are not the only ball players celebrating a victory in the area. You can also probably spot Chase Jans of Overland Park, Kansas, sporting his PHR National Finals gear around town. Local and sectional host Jeff Todd couldn’t be more proud of Chase.

Todd has been hosting PHR since 2006 and thinks the program “is an exciting event for the entire community that gives Blue Valley Recreation a chance to showcase our facility, while seeing the joy it brings to the kids.”

Give the kids in your community the opportunity to feel like All Stars by signing up to host your own Scotts MLB Pitch Hit & Run competition.

Visit www.PitchHitRun.com to sign up today!

Kelly Peterson works with MLB Pitch Hit & Run Headquarters (pitchhitrun@mlb.com).

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NRPA Update NRPA is dedicated to providing learning opportunities to advance the development of best practices and resources that make parks and recreation indispensable elements of American communities.

Find out more at www.nrpa.org/education.

CHECK THIS OUT

SCHOOLS AND CONFERENCES NRPA Conferences and Schools are forums where the park and recreation community comes together to exchange ideas and information. Register now for these upcoming events. All NRPA Schools are held at Oglebay Resort in Wheeling, West Virginia, unless otherwise indicated.

March Madness is upon us! It’s time to get your applications in for NRPA’s awards programs. NRPA awards programs highlight the efforts of professionals who go above and beyond to make a difference in their communities. Applications are now being accepted for individual and agency awards, including awards for young professionals, distinguished professionals, advocacy, inclusion, programming, design marketing, health equity, conservation and more. Visit www.nrpa.org/awards for more information.

August 28-September 1, 2016

November 6-10, 2016

October 5-8, 2016 - St. Louis, MO

January 15-20, 2017

January 29 - February 3, 2017

www.nrpa.org/education

CPSI PROGRAM

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Operations Building Dynamic Playgrounds

By Michelle A. Kelly, RLA, CPSI

P

laygrounds by their very nature are fun and should inspire kids to play. The quality of that play is inherently linked to the design of the playground — its layout, play equipment, amenities and aesthetics.

Using research-based evidence, the concept of dynamic play guides playground design with nine easy-to-understand criteria in an effort to get children playing longer, socializing more and getting more exercise.

Research on play and childhood development comes from universities, nonprofits, governments and corporations. Articles from as early as 1986, such as, “Preschoolers’ Play Behavior in Outdoor Environments: Effects of Traditional and Contemporary Playgrounds” in the American Educational Research Journal, to more recent works from 2013 in the Journal of Adventure Education and Outdoor Learning’s “A Comparative Study of Active Play on Dif-

ferently Designed Playgrounds,” highlight the way design affects play.

This research, along with more than 20 years of designing playgrounds, helped to form the nine key criteria and coined the term “dynamic play” for this method of design.

The idea is to incorporate as many of the nine criteria in a playground as possible. Not all will work for all sites or users, so customization is key to fitting to a specific playground.

1

Space Create spaces beyond just safety use zones so that kids can run, jump and play. This allows for unstructured play areas and spaces to socialize. Extra space can be part of the safety-play surface area or adjacent spaces with lawn berms, shaded shelters, a garden space or short ledge with a view to the play area.

2

Diversity A diversity of play types is key to encourage the physical, cognitive, social and sensory exploration within a playground. Multiple levels of activities with a diversity of play events keep kids interested and increases physical activity. The physical play pieces with swings, slides and climbers can be complemented with social play houses, shelters, talk tubes and cognitive play themes, panels and sand play. Diversity of play pieces can also help meet the needs of many users with varying physical and cognitive abilities.

3

Dynamic play spaces, like Chicago’s Hiawatha Park, seen here, incorporate nine specific design criteria that help to maximize user experience for children of all ages and abilities, as well as their caregivers.

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Circuits Multiple loops and access points provide paths of movement to explore and learn while encouraging exercise through play. The most basic loop is an entry stair to a slide and the path back to the stair. When that loop is extended through play pieces like pod climbers, monkey bars, bridges, ramps, exterior paved walks, a landscape bed or a climbing rock ledge before getting back to the slide, entry users have more opportunities to be active.

4

Seating Comfortable seating throughout the playground for adults to monitor activity, as well as quiet places for kids to step away from the excitement, is important to meet all users’ needs. When caregivers are comfortable in a play space, they are more likely to stay longer. This results in kids getting more play time.

5

Safety Adhering to CPSC and ASTM standards for public playground safety is a key element to creating long-term site safety. Additionally, protection from the sun and wind increases comfort while separation from busy streets will promote a feeling of safety and encourage families to return. Safety and the perception of safety is an underlying piece to all well-designed playgrounds.

6

Nature Access to the natural environment improves children’s cognitive and social development and creates more complex play that lasts for longer periods of time. Nature can be added to any type of playground with landscape beds, logs, rocks or trees. Native and non-native plants can both be used to create more complex and interesting play spaces that can complement a more standard play structure or be the defining theme of the entire playground.

7

Moving Parts Sand, water, sticks — moveable parts create a more interesting play experience for kids as the environment shifts under their direction.

Adding moving parts can improve fine motor skill development, expand imaginative play and encourage sensory play. Moving parts can

include a water spray feature, sand play area or movable foam blocks, spheres and tubes. Kids can push the boundaries of play design and imagination by creating their own play with moving parts.

8

Social Inclusion Inclusive spaces encourage people with different abilities and ages to share the space socially and psychologically — not just physically.

The goal is to go beyond meeting the federal ADA standards. This means making the playground welcoming with circulation loops in which all users can participate, seating spaces for all and panel play for everyone.

9

Imagination Promoting imaginative play engages children’s cognitive skills and makes play more fun for all ages.

Themes and areas that promote imagination engage a child’s analytical skills, encourage exploration and create a sense of place. Not every playground needs a theme, but ensuring that play pieces encourage imagination will help create spaces that help everyone find the sense of what wonder play is all about.

Implementing the dynamic play criteria is where the fun begins. A great example is Hiawatha Park, located on Chicago’s northwest side. The recently updated park is a center of recreation and fun for the neighborhood, and incorporates the nine key elements of dynamic play. Public meetings allowed users’ needs to be integrated while the Chicago Park District playground design guidelines were followed to help reduce maintenance costs and provide safe play. The circuits are especially successful in this play-

Including moveable parts makes for a more interesting play experience and can improve fine motor skill development.

ground with both ramps and rubber surfacing berms tied into the play structure. The real success is seeing kids play while caregivers relax nearby in the shade.

As research continues to be compiled, the criteria will continue to be updated so that playground designs continue to improve. The success of each playground design will be found in the real world where kids are playing, memories are being made and everyone is asking to visit that great playground again.

Michelle A. Kelly, RLA, CPSI, is a Principal Landscape Architect at Upland Design Ltd. (mkelly@uplanddesign.com).

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Coming This April

NRPA would like to thank Disney, ABC and ESPN for their support of local parks through this month’s Parks Build Community campaign, giving 16 parks across the country $20,000 each to help kids in their communities be active, live healthier and connect with nature.

Want to get involved?

Visit nrpa.org/BeInspired throughout April to nominate a park in your community to be entered in a random drawing to win $20,000. Then submit your votes to help us select parks across the country to receive grant funding.

nrpa.org/BeInspired

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Please email your answers to dstorm@nrpa.org.

Check the product(s)/company(ies) that you would like information from: ATHLETIC/EXERCISE EQUIPMENT Beacon Athletics.....................................41 800.747.5985 www.beaconathletics.com Go Ape.....................................................86 415.553.0769 www.goape.com Greenfields Outdoor Fitness...................3 888.315.9037 www.greenfieldsfitness.com Major League Baseball — Pitch, Hit & Run.......................................77 866.800.1275 www.pitchhitrun.com Soccer5 ®USA..........................................51 305.393.5230 www.soccer5usa.com BLEACHERS/ SEATING Kay Park Recreation...............................86 800.553.2476 www.kaypark.com Victor Stanley...........................................7 301.855.8300 www.victorstanley.com BUILDINGS/TENTS/SHELTERS Classic Recreation Systems...................15 800.697.2195 www.classicrecreation.com Easi-Set Buildings..................................85 866.252.8210 www.easisetbuildings.com Poligon®..................................................45 616.399.1963 www.poligon.com Shade Systems Inc....................................1 800.609.6066 www.shadesystemsinc.com/sails COMMUNICATIONS Basinger Audio Systems........................84 877.638.5816 www.portablesound.com GROUNDS MAINTENANCE Ameristar Fence Products.....................16 800.321.8724 www.ameristarfence.com Bishop Enterprises Inc...........................84 615.233.5173 www.turf-aire.com

Jacobsen®.................................................9 888.922.TURF(8873) www.jacobsen.com John Deere..............................................17 800.537.8233 www.johndeere.com/local LIGHTING Musco Lighting.......................................23 800.825.6030 www.musco.com PARK PRODUCTS/SERVICES Bright Idea Shops...................................84 800.886.8990 www.brightideashops.com B.Y.O Bags™.............................................85 800.233.3907 www.byobagsgame.com Dogipot...................................................43 800.364.7681 www.dogipot.com Gyms for Dogs — Natural Dog Park Products.................................21 800.931.1562 www.gymsfordogs.com Kay Park Recreation...............................86 800.553.2476 www.kaypark.com Most Dependable Fountains.................C2 800.552.6331 www.mostdependable.com Murdock Manufacturing.......................27 800.453.7465 www.murdockmfg.com Mutt- Mitt®..............................................25 800.697.6084 www.muttmitt.com Pilot Rock................................................44 800.762.5002 www.pilotrock.com Willoughby Industries...........................51 800.428.4065 www.willoughby-ind.com PLAYGROUND EQUIPMENT Burke Playgrounds...................................5 800.356.2070 www.bciburke.com/p&r

Cemer® Playground & Fitness...............31 +90.232.853.87.04 www.cemer.com.tr GameTime®.............................................C4 800.235.2440 www.gametime.com/expression Landscape Structures®....................12, 13 888.438.6574 www.playlsi.com Playworld Inc..........................................C3 800.233.8404 www.playworld.com/playform7 SIGNS/SCOREBOARDS Banners.com...........................................25 866.965.9300 www.banners.com Berntsen .................................................84 877.686.8565 www.berntsen.com Polly Products........................................86 877.609.2243 www.pollyproducts.com Scoremaster............................................86 888.726.7627 www.scoremaster.com SURFACING Matéflex®................................................16 800.926.3539 www.mateflex.com SofSurfaces.............................................29 800.263.2363 www.sofsurfaces.com TURF PRODUCTS Superthrive®...........................................41 800.441.VITA(8482) www.superthrive.com UNIVERSITIES/COLLEGES Clemson University................................85 864.656.3400 www.clemson.edu/prtm/graduate-program

Mail the completed form to Dana Storm at NRPA, 22377 Belmont Ridge Road, Ashburn, VA 20148-4501 or email to dstorm@nrpa.org.

(ISSN 0031-2215) is published monthly by the National Recreation and Park Association, 22377 Belmont Ridge Rd., Ashburn, VA 20148, a service organization supported by membership dues and voluntary contributions. Copyright ©2016 by the National Recreation and Park Association. Reproduction in whole or in part without permission is prohibited. Opinions expressed in signed articles are those of the writers and not necessarily those of NRPA. Issued to members at the annual subscription price of $30, included in dues. Subscription: $36 a year in the U.S.; $46 elsewhere. Single copy price: $4.50. Library rate: $48 a year in the U.S.; $58 elsewhere. Periodical postage paid at Ashburn, Virginia, and at additional mailing offices. Editorial and advertising offices at 22377 Belmont Ridge Rd., Ashburn, VA 20148. 703.858.0784. Postmaster, send address changes to Parks & Recreation, 22377 Belmont Ridge Rd., Ashburn, VA 20148.

W W W. PA R K S A N D R E C R E AT I O N . O R G | M A R C H 2 0 1 6 |

Parks & Recreation

87

Park Bench

Pool Cool For much of the United States, this is not the time of year to be splish-splashing in your community pool. This writer, whose town recently received a whopping 35 inches of snow, quite literally shudders at the thought of dropping by my local rec center for a brisk outdoor swim! Even down south in Auburn, Alabama, a town that typically enjoys average temps in the mid- to upper-60s and higher 10 months out of the year, January’s warmest days only stretch into the 50s.

Such challenging environs, however brief their stay, are no match for the dozens of Auburnites who for the past four years have steeled themselves for a cold shock before participating in the annual Polar Plunge. First organized four years ago by City of Auburn Parks and Recreation League Sports Coordinator Ryan Molt, the event enjoins participants to gather financial pledges of support to benefit Lee County Special Olympics. They’re also encouraged to don a fun costume — characters spotted at this year’s Plunge include Superman, Joe Dirt, a “minion,” Auburn University’s Aubie the Tiger, Santa Claus and many others. Molt says the Polar Plunge has seen tremendous growth since he and a friend first dreamed it up next to his backyard swimming pool in 2012. “One of my co-workers who works a lot with Special Olympics suggested I host a Polar Plunge to raise money,” he recalls. “We laughed it off at the time, but the more we talked, the more we thought it would be a lot of fun and benefit a great cause that was important to both of us, so we threw it together at the last minute the first year. We had 18 people come out, mostly friends and family, and raised $4,000 — then we decided to expand it and make it more of a parks and rec event.” January 30, 104 people gathered at the edge of Auburn’s Samford Pool to take the plunge — “So far, we’ve raised more than $12,600 and there are still a few checks trickling in,” Mott says. He plans to continue to build on the momentum the Polar Plunge has enjoyed thus far, and hopefully involve more local businesses and schools. “Maybe have local elementary school principals challenge each other to raise more money and the loser goes off the high dive — stuff like that,” he says, laughing.

“The Polar Plunge really helps foster a feeling of community for everyone involved. All the money goes directly to Lee County Special Olympics, so it’s staying with local families in need and local athletes. People involved in the Plunge get a sense of giving back while raising awareness about Special Olympics and its programs.”

— Samantha Bartram, Executive Editor of Parks & Recreation magazine 88 Parks & Recreation

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PARKS&RECREATION MARCH 2016 ◆ DESIGN MATTERS ◆ PARKS BUILD COMMUNITY ◆ 2016 AQUATICS GUIDE