Parks & Recreation - July 2015

Get Your Goat | Parks Build Community in North Las Vegas | 2015 Conference Education J U LY 2 0 1 5 W W W. N R PA . O R G

Sharing the Power of Parks in July The ongoing evolution of parks and recreation’s mission through three decades and beyond Page 44

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contents july 2015 volume 50 | number 7 | www.nrpa.org

COVER STORY

44 Sharing the Power of Parks in July The ongoing evolution of parks and recreation’s mission through three decades and beyond Roxanne Sutton

48 Dissecting a Park: Joe Kneip Goes

Under the Blade Jimmy O’Connor

52 NRPA Annual Conference: Come to

Learn and Leave Inspired Tom Crosley

Parks & Recreation

J U LY 2 0 1 5 W W W. N R PA . O R G

The ongoing evolution of parks and recreation’s mission through three decades and beyond Page 44

FEATURES

2

This month’s cover photo, “Girl with Tortoise,” was submitted

by NRPA member city of McAllen, Texas, and Sharing the Power chosen by popular of Parks in July vote in our Parks & Recreation magazine cover contest for Park and Recreation Month.

Pictured above is our second-place winner, “Coralytes,” submitted by Palm Beach County Parks and Recreation Department, Florida.

Get Your Goat | Parks Build Community in North Las Vegas | 2015 Conference Education

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contents july 2015

departments

columns

6

8 Perspectives

Web Exclusives

Parks for Monarchs Barbara Tulipane, CAE

12 Letters 14 50th Anniversary Archive Throwback: September 1990

16 Community Center Beach Transformation Creates Educational, Recreational Oasis 16 Agency Spotlight: San Diego Park and Recreation, California 18 Notable News 20 NRPA Connect Hot Topics 20

22 By the Numbers Waterfront Access

24 People for Parks Stellar Supervisor Samantha Bartram

26 Member to Member LGBTQ Teens in Recreation Programs Randy Wiger

54 NRPA Update Parks Saving the Monarch 54 The (Enhanced) Power of PRORAGIS 2.0 55 2015 Gold Medal Finalists Announced 58 Member Spotlight: Kendrick Mayes 60 Staff Spotlight: Roxanne Sutton 61 Member Benefits: Early Contract Terminations 62 Test Your Park and Recreation Knowledge. 62 Professional Development Calendar 63

64 Operations Water, Water Everywhere Catrina Belt

66 Products 67 Marketplace 71 Reader Service and Advertiser Index 72 Park Bench Dreams Come True Catrina Belt

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10 Editor’s Letter 30 Years of Summer Fun Gina Mullins-Cohen

28 Advocacy King v. Burwell: An Explainer Oliver Spurgeon III

30 Law Review Troubled Triathlete Expelled From Recreation Program James C. Kozlowski, J.D., Ph.D.

36 Future Leaders Preserving Our Connection to This Land Michael J. Bradley, Ph.D., and Jody M. Baker

38 Conservation Got Weeds? Get Goats!

Richard J. Dolesh

40 Health and Wellness Access to Sports Is Access to Health Jimmy O’Connor

42 Social Equity Diversifying Mainstream Environmental Groups Is Not Enough Robert D. Bullard and Robert García

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ParksandRecreation.org Thousands of your colleagues can attest to this: Each year they come to the NRPA Annual Conference for the inspirational and innovative education sessions, workshops, networking activities and events knowing that they’ll take away lots of great ideas! The networking activities are the best way to reconnect with colleagues, meet new people and share experiences. Hundreds of education sessions cover topics from leadership, management and public relations, to marketing, recreation programming, revenue/customer service and much more. The Pre-Conference Workshops and OffSite Institutes can help you prepare for a certification or give you the opportunity to get out and explore Nevada. Check out the 2015 Program Schedule at www.nrpa.org/Conference2015/program-schedule, and register now for the 2015 NRPA Annual Conference, scheduled for Sept. 15–17 in Las Vegas, Nevada.

As part of NRPA’s 50th anniversary celebrations, we set an ambitious membership goal of reaching 50,000 members. We are excited to report that in May, we met that goal! This is an important milestone that we are happy to share and it’s all thanks to you! We couldn’t have done it without the dedication and passion of our colleagues in the parks and recreation industry. Read NRPA Director of Marketing and Communications Lauren Hoffmann’s Open Space blog, “Why 50,000 is a great number for parks and recreation” (www.nrpa.org/blog/why-50000is-a-great-number-for-parks-and-recreation) to learn more.

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Parks & Recreation

Check out our digital edition at http://ezine.parks andrecreation .org

Have you posted your totally awesome 15-second Throwback Thursday Instagram Video Challenge to Instagram using the hashtags #JulyPRM30 and #JulyTBTChallenge? This year, as part of celebrating 30 years of Park and Recreation Month, we challenged you to show us how you get retro in your parks and recreation! You could sweat it out in an aerobics class gone retro, show off some rad 80s dance moves in your favorite park, wear your best 80s gear to your park or rec center, lip-sync to your favorite 80s jam — the possibilities are endless! Just have fun with it!

On July 9, we awarded the first of four $85 Amazon gift cards for our favorite 80s video posted on Instagram. Visit www.nrpa.org/july-challenge for official rules and details about the contest and how to claim your prize. Winners will be contacted via a direct message from NRPA on Instagram and must accept the prize within 24 hours. Follow our Instagram @NRPA each week in July to watch the winning video and don’t forget to post your submission. You have until July 29 to enter.

Stay in touch!

NRPA website: www.nrpa.org Parks & Recreation website: www.parksandrecreation.org Digital edition: http://ezine.parksandrecreation.org NRPA Connect: www.nrpaconnect.org Facebook: www.facebook.com/NationalRecreationandParkAssociation Twitter: www.twitter.com/NRPA_news, www.twitter.com/ParksRecMag Pinterest: www.pinterest.com/nrpa Instagram: www.instagram.com/nrpa

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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

Parks for Monarchs It’s hard to believe that the monarch butterfly may soon be a distant memory. That’s right, if the monarch’s rate of decline continues your grandchild or even your children may never see a live monarch. But we don’t have to let this happen — in fact, we can play a major role in saving the monarch. And when we endeavor to save this beautiful creature from extinction, we will also show the world what we are capable of when we act upon a shared vision.

There are many great things that NRPA members do collectively for conservation, such as our dedication to getting 10 Million Kids Outdoors and the commitment we all share to raise the next generation of stewards for our parks, but it is very rare that all of us can work together to help save a wildlife species that is in serious trouble. So how do we, as a field, help save the monarch?

As caretakers of parks, we are in a unique position to restore monarch habitat by planting milkweed gardens and larger restoration areas on our lands and at our facilities. While there are many factors contributing to the demise of the monarch, the loss of the milkweed is by far the most critical, because the monarch’s survival essentially depends on the milkweed plant.

NRPA is working with a number of organizations and potential funders to provide milkweed plants and materials for agencies to plant to help restore habitat for monarchs. You will see more information on this in the very near future. Milkweed gardens are inexpensive to plant and very easy to maintain. In fact, the staff at NRPA worked with a local Eagle Scout candidate to plant our monarch waystation in front of the NRPA headquarters building in Ashburn, Virginia. You can read more about our efforts in NRPA Vice President of Conservation and Parks, Rich Dolesh’s piece, “Parks Saving the Monarch,” on page 54.

While we have chosen to focus on the monarch, the truth is that we are in danger of losing many other pollinator species, as well. Using connected park lands as wildlife corridors is a real solution to saving many threatened and endangered species and saving the monarch is just the beginning. The public is beginning to appreciate the value of open space and the critical need it fills beyond recreation.

I hope your agency will join the fight to save the monarch. And, just as important, work with us to demonstrate the power of parks and recreation to the public.

We can make a difference, and our impact can be extraordinary if we join together.

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

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Parks & Recreation

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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 Detrick L. Stanford, CPRP

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

Clayton County Parks and Recreation Jonesboro, Georgia

Michael Kelly

Chair-Elect Susan Trautman, CPRP

Chicago Park District Chicago, Illinois

Great Rivers Greenway District St. Louis, Missouri

Brian Knapp

Past Chair Robert F. Ashcraft, Ph.D. ASU Lodestar Center Phoenix, Arizona

Treasurer Neelay Bhatt PROS Consulting Indianapolis, Indiana

Secretary Stephen Eckelberry

NOVA Parks Fairfax, Virginia

Molly Stevens Westcave Outdoor Discovery Center Austin, Texas

William “Joe” Turner

LIFE TRUSTEES

Bartlett Park District Bartlett, Illinois

Beverly D. Chrisman

President and CEO Barbara Tulipane, CAE

Anne S. Close

National Recreation and Park Association Ashburn, Virginia

BOARD OF DIRECTORS

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Charles E. Hartsoe, Ph.D.

Five River Metro Parks Dayton, Ohio

Kevin Coyle National Wildlife Federation Washington, D.C.

Jennifer Harnish Streams and Valleys Fort Worth, Texas

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W W W. N R PA . O R G | J U LY 2 0 1 5 |

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9

EDITOR’S LET TER

30 Years of Summer Fun This year, in addition to NRPA celebrating its 50th anniversary, NRPA’s Park and Recreation Month also observes its 30-year milestone.

To honor this special occasion, we held a Park and Recreation Month photo contest for the cover of our July 2015 issue. We received more than 170 submissions, but sorting through the photos and categorizing them was not the difficult part. The tricky part was selecting the finalists because most of the entries were not just good — most of them ranged from very good to great.

First, we pared down the images by making sure the overall composition would work for our cover. Could we position the magazine logo without cutting off elements within the photo? Did the photo speak to the power of parks and recreation, or did it speak subtly to a theme of one or all of NRPA’s Three Pillars: Conservation, Health and Wellness and Social Equity? Lastly, would the image make you, our member-reader, open it up and read?

The decision was tough, but we finally settled on 12 finalists to post on our Facebook page so you could vote for your favorite. The winning photo, seen on the cover of this issue, was submitted by Colleen Hook, manager at McAllen, Texas’s Quinta Mazatlan World Birding Center. We agreed with the voters on this winning entry. This single photo addresses many of the countless wonders awaiting discovery within a park. It instantly shows how critical it is for kids to connect with nature and it addresses the need for children to explore the great outdoors and to study, appreciate and understand wildlife. This photo, pretty much, says it all.

Summer is in full swing by July and our July issue is filled with great summer reads.

Roxanne Sutton, NRPA’s senior marketing and communications specialist, talks Park and Recreation Month and highlights the vital role parks serve in our lives in “Sharing the Power of Parks in July,” on page 44. You’ll also find details about our winning cover photo and four of our runners-up. NRPA Director of Grants and Partnerships Jimmy O’Connor’s overview of this year’s Parks Build Community project, Joe Kneip Park, in North Las Vegas, can be found on page 48. Finally, NRPA Education Manager, Conferences and Schools, Tom Crosley gives us a sneak-peek at a handful of education offerings slated for the 2015 NRPA Annual Conference starting on page 52.

Summer is the busiest season for park and recreation professionals, but I know as you read this issue you will discover at least one more reason why parks and recreation matter to everyone.

GINA MULLINS-COHEN Vice President of Marketing, Communications and Publishing Editorial Director 10 Parks & Recreation

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PRESIDENT AND CEO Barbara Tulipane, CAE VICE PRESIDENT OF MARKETING, COMMUNICATIONS AND PUBLISHING, AND EDITORIAL DIRECTOR Gina Mullins-Cohen gcohen@nrpa.org EXECUTIVE EDITOR Samantha Bartram sbartram@nrpa.org MANAGING EDITOR Sonia Myrick smyrick@nrpa.org EDITORIAL INTERNS Marissa Bracamonte mbracamonte@nrpa.org 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 Nihal Advani CEO/Founder Georama Gerald Brown Director City of Sunset Hills Parks & Recreation Dept.

Ernest Burkeen Director Baltimore City Dept. of Recreation & Parks Gwendolyn Chambers Chief Communications Officer Baltimore City Dept. of Recreation & Parks Brendan Daley Director of Strategy and Sustainability Chicago Park District Ryan Eaker Nature-Based Programs Coordinator Lorraine “Grandma” Camacho Activity Center Paul Gilbert Executive Director Northern Virginia Regional Park Authority Sandra Gonzalez Director Pico Rivera Parks and Recreation Dept.

Greg Harrison Chief Marketing Officer Playworld Todd Lehman CEO/Founder Cre8Play Sam Mendelsohn CEO Greenfields Outdoor Fitness Dr. Kevin Riley Professor of Parks and Recreation Henderson State University Paula Sliefert Sr. Marketing Manager The Toro Company Anne-Marie Spencer Vice President, Corporate Marketing and Communications Playcore Stephen Springs Sr. Principal Brinkley, Sargent, Wiginton Architects Randy Wiger Parks Commons Program Coordinator Seattle Dept. of Parks & Recreation

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Letters We hope the articles you read in Parks & Recreation are thought-provoking and engaging, and we want to hear your opinions on what you read in these pages. Through social media posts, website comments, emails to staff or posts on NRPA Connect, let us know how the magazine’s articles apply to your job and your agency. To submit feedback for this section, email Executive Editor Samantha Bartram at sbartram@nrpa.org.

Before we can effectively partner with external entities, we have to get our own house in order!

How do we ensure that new initiatives, innovations and tools don’t fall flat? How do we seed a culture of openness, excellence and accountability? How do we become the change we want to see, together? The answer is clear. Transparent, authentic and genuine communication is essential to building accountability and openness. Staff can truly benefit from discussing key strategies, techniques and methodologies that foster honesty, genuine communication and authenticity in highly bureaucratic systems. So how do we accomplish that seemingly monumental task?

One tool that change agents could deploy is the development of a robust professional learning community.

Professional Learning Communities (PLCs) are groups of practitioners that meet regularly, share knowledge and expertise, and work collaboratively to learn, grow and improve overall effectiveness. PLCs provide practitioners a forum to celebrate successes, challenge assumptions, innovate and collaborate. A robust PLC can burst through silos, create new avenues for professional exchange and, in my opinion, increases overall job satisfaction.

As a member of the Weikart Center for Youth Program Quality’s Field Consultant Team, I participate 12 Parks

& Recreation

in a robust PLC. We meet on a webinar monthly that is co-facilitated by different team members each time. Topics are chosen by us for us.

The conversations are grounded in strong content and allow ample time to discuss implementation and also provide a healthy dose of reflection at the conclusion of the meetings.

I always leave the discussions feeling reenergized, reinvigorated and ready to hit the ground running with lessons learned. It also inspires this question, “If I can have such a great learning community experience with nine other professionals from around the United States, why can’t I have the same experience with the people in the cubicle or office next to me?”

The truth is, I can. Someone has to step up and take the leadership role and make the time and space to leverage the genius in each of us. Are you ready to be that person?

Finally, it is worth mentioning another powerful unifying force that fosters collaboration: Shared purpose. Purpose is the end or result at which an entire organization is aimed. I once read an article titled, “The Power of Purpose,” by Susan Gross. After reading it a few times I learned how shared purpose can become a unifying force that tears down walls and breaks through silos, creating a climate of excellence that embraces change as an opportunity rather than something to be feared or

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avoided. Gross describes purpose as being “always inspiring” and that it should motivate and unify staff. If it does not then something is off.

I can’t tell you how many times in my career that I felt like something was off but could never pinpoint why. It is so much clearer to me today. It is important for me to know that I am working with and for people that share a similar passion for the mission, and they are willing to roll up their sleeves to put in the right amounts of sweat equity and effort to actualize our purpose.

Email from Brodrick Clarke, education and policy coordinator with the Prince George’s County Department of Parks and Recreation, regarding the importance of educational collaborative groups. You can learn more about NRPA’s online community of park and recreation professionals at www.nrpaconnect.org.

Correction In the 2015 Field Guide, we omitted information for Major Display Inc., a top manufacturer of scoreboards.

U.S. Mail for Major Display Inc. may be directed to: 131 Franklin Plz., Suite 363, Franklin, NC 28734. Contact by phone at 800.260.1067 or visit www.majordisplay.com. Also, the telephone contact information listed in the 2015 Field Guide for AmpliVox Sound Systems was incorrect. To contact AmpliVox, call 800.267.5486.

Parks & Recreation magazine regrets the errors.

Archive Throwback: September 1990

By Samantha Bartram

M

onarch conservation. Connecting America’s youth to its sacred natural spaces. Building community through recreation. The power of parks. You’ll find all these themes in this issue of Parks & Recreation magazine, and in the September 1990 issue, you’ll find “Looking Inward to Save the Outdoors” by Daniel L. Dustin, which posits a lens through which all might be viewed.

In the piece, Dustin outs himself as a revolutionary — the kind who eschews conspicuous consumption in service to a deep reverence for our environment. Dustin is not a socialist or communist, but he does push back against the capitalist imperative of acquiring more, more, more.

Dustin examines our failure to act as thoughtful stewards of our natural resources, despite knowing that these resources are essential for our very survival. He calls out his readership for shirking democratic and ecological responsibilities in favor of blind consumption. Dustin’s words admonished his audience in 1990 and sting just as smartly today. He writes: “Barring a radical reduction in birthrates, a radical increase in death rates or a radical change in the way we live our lives in-between, I am convinced we will bear witness to the progressive degradation and impoverishment of the earth’s natural resource base in our lifetime. In spite of a growing awareness of our planet’s limits, we continue to measure the ‘health’ of our lifestyles by the rate at which we go through resources. We continue to perceive increased consumption

14 Parks & Recreation

as a sign of ‘well-being.’ We continue to rely on the accumulation of material goods as the best indicator of a ‘successful’ life.”

It is the acknowledgement of this truth that cements Dustin’s status as a revolutionary, if not in the field of parks and recreation, then as opposed to a stereotypical “Good American.”

He cites the words of Lewis Lapham, the legendary journalist, author and longtime past-editor of Harper’s Magazine, writing: “What I’m saying stabs at the heart of a commercial democracy. As Lewis Lapham describes it, ‘Of all the subversive doctrines likely to wreck the American dream of paradise…the most subversive is the one that the ancient Greeks expressed as the Golden Mean and the early Chris-

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tians as the virtue of temperance.

Were a majority of Americans suddenly to say, “I have enough…No, I don’t think I’ll buy anything more this week,” the country would soon fall into ruin.’”

Dustin finally distills his message to its radical essence: “The problem with a nation such as ours is that we have no relationship with the land other than what can be realized economically from it.”

As we continue to look to the future during our 50th anniversary celebrations, as we celebrate 30 years of devoting an entire month to park and recreation awareness, and as we look for ways to connect our children to nature and develop them as considerate stewards of the environment, we should heed Dustin’s rallying call: “What, then, do I expect of the park and recreation profession in this day and age? I expect three things: First, I expect us to put our heads together and try to reach a consensus about the kind of world we live in…

Second, I expect the park and recreation profession to serve as this society’s environmental conscience… and Third, I expect each and every one of us within the park and recreation profession to set an example, to demonstrate environmental wisdom in the conduct of our own lives.”

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

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Community Center Beach Transformation Creates Educational, Recreational Oasis

By Gary Silbar

W

hat was once an underutilized, rock strewn beach on the shores of Lake Michigan in Highland Park, Illinois, has been reborn as a unique multifunctional, educational and recreational oasis. Through the efforts of the Park District of Highland Park (PDHP), Rosewood Beach now offers area students a lakeside classroom for the exploration and study of Lake Michigan’s coastal zone. Rosewood Beach is also a recreational haven, providing families in the surrounding community with a place to enjoy a variety of activities, including early morning yoga classes, deep-water swimming programs, beach volleyball, or just to relax in a pristine beach environment.

The restoration of Rosewood Beach, a $12 million project, is the result of a comprehensive plan where community involvement played a key role in the ultimate outcome. It was vitally important to PDHP to continue a long-held practice of seeking ongoing conversations and input from the community for the project concept and design. A

resident volunteer Rosewood Task Force was recruited and met regularly for more than a year to develop the extraordinary design plan for Rosewood.

A grassroots citizen group, Friends of Rosewood, was also spontaneously formed to support the project and help move it along its path to approval.

“It’s phenomenal,” says Michelle

Community input proved a vital part of the Rosewood Beach restoration project, as residents weighed in about their priorities and expectations.

16 Parks & Recreation

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Holleman, a 20-year Highland Park resident and lead organizer of Friends of Rosewood Beach. “This is one of those few projects that truly delivers on the plan. What we saw on paper was fully realized and is better than anything we could have imagined.”

Execution of the Rosewood Beach project was a collaborative effort between PDHP and the United States Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) as part of the Great Lakes Fishery and Ecosystem Restoration (GLFER) program. GLFER authorizes federal funding for the USACE to cooperate with other federal, state and local agencies and the Great Lakes Fishery Commission to implement projects that support the restoration of the fishery, ecosystem and beneficial uses of the Great Lakes.

A Beach with Purpose According to Liza McElroy, PDHP executive director, the focal points of the beach are three distinct coves that enable a variety of programming options to take place simultaneously.

Environmentally friendly and architecturally sensitive facilities are nestled against the wooded bluffs and linked by a continuous 1,500-foot boardwalk made of ipe, a durable South American hardwood.

Rosewood Beach also serves as a lakeside living classroom for PDHP’s environmental education summer camps. And this fall, elementary and secondary school field trips, high school environmental science field

trips, and the district’s nature-based classes for preschool children will begin at the new beachfront Interpretive Center — all part of an overarching educational initiative to build an informed, inspired and engaged community that recognizes the need to protect Lake Michigan’s coastal zone.

The gateway for educational exploration is the beachfront Interpretive Center, a 1,960-square-foot building that serves as a gathering and departure point for park district camps and school groups as they explore the diverse lakefront ecosystem. Interpretive information panels, dissecting and projecting microscopes, computers and a 70-inch video monitor help communicate the conservation efforts in progress and the fragile ravine system so unique to Highland Park.

Restoration and Conservation The USACE constructed new breakwaters and widened the beach with an additional 65,000 cubic yards of sand.

The low-profile breakwaters, extending 200 feet into the lake from the bluff, provide erosion protection that supports native plantings and the formation of dune structures central to the restoration project.

Additional ecological components of the project included daylighting the ravine stream, providing a habitat for fish and allowing cleaner water to flow into the lake; the addition of native plantings and bluff restoration to improve the health of the unique ravine ecosystem; and installation of permeable pavers in the parking lot to decrease runoff and naturally clean stormwater.

PDHP’s portion of the project included the construction of a lifeguard house, concession stand, family changing rooms and the Interpretive Center that are minimalistic in design and naturalistic in appearance. The buildings are small in scale and feature natural woods and stone fascia to blend into the environment allowing Lake Michigan to be the focus of attention.

“The restoration of Rosewood Beach is a lasting legacy of Highland Park’s commitment to environmental stewardship, conservation, recreation and education,” adds McElroy. “The project serves as a role model for ecological best practices and showcases how a collected vision can be transformed into a shared reality.”

For more information about the Rosewood Beach restoration project, program offerings and PDHP, visit www. pdhp.org.

Gary Silbar is Principal of Gary Silbar Communications, a public relations firm located in Highland Park, Illinois (gary@ silbarcommunications.com).

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Community Center

Agency Spotlight: San Diego Park and Recreation, California

By Catrina Belt Municipality: San Diego, California Population: 1,301,617 Year Agency Founded: 1850 Annual Operating Budget: $158.8 million Director: Herman D. Parker Employees: 1,200 Volunteers: 26,600

Essential Information 41,712 acres of park land, 400 parks (including Balboa Park, home of the world-famous San Diego Zoo), 56 recreation centers, 280 playgrounds, senior centers, teen centers, 350 athletic fields, 135 tennis courts, 13 swimming pools, 155 outdoor basket-

A view of the majestic California Tower from San Diego Park and Recreation’s Alcazar Garden in Balboa Park.

18 Parks & Recreation

ball courts, campgrounds, nature and visitor centers, gymnasiums, meeting rooms, weight rooms, historic sites, amphitheaters, five skate parks, boat launches, docks, fishing piers, 26 miles of oceanfront coastline and more.

Connecting to the Community The city of San Diego Park and Recreation Department operates and maintains a valued park system that enriches the lives of millions of residents and visitors each year. Every day, the park and recreation department works hard to live up to its mission: To acquire, develop, operate and maintain a park and recreation system that enriches the quality of life for residents and visitors alike and preserves it for future generations. With more than 41,700 acres of parks, open space and aquatic areas available throughout the city, the park and recreation department provides a wealth of valuable opportunities for individuals, families and groups to enjoy leisure time. Both landscaped and natural environments offer healthful outdoor settings for people to be active and pass the time. Additionally, the hundreds of recreational facilities and programs provide activities that promote community wellness and bring together people from diverse backgrounds.

Celebrating 100 Years 2015 is a year of celebration for the San Diego Park and Recreation Department. It marks the 100-year celebration of the 1915 Panama-California Exposition. In the early 20th century, San Di-

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ego was a small town of 40,000 people and Balboa Park, known then as City Park, was a large, empty expanse of California coastal sage scrub. The park was later named after Vasco Núñez de Balboa, who is credited with being the first European explorer to have crossed the Isthmus of Panama to the Pacific Ocean. In 1909, G. Aubrey Davidson, the president of the San Diego Chamber of Commerce, suggested that an exposition celebrating the opening of the Panama Canal in 1915 would help put San Diego on the world’s map. A century later, structures built for that celebration — the California Tower, Spreckels Organ Pavilion, Cabrillo Bridge and the park’s wooden lath Botanical Building — are still part of the makeup of Balboa Park. The nickname “Garden Fair” has also stuck, and today, patrons can’t visit the park without experiencing its amazing gardens.

To commemorate the 100th anniversary of the 1915 Panama-California Exposition, the city of San Diego, in collaboration with organizations within Balboa Park and throughout the region, created a centennial celebration that “Elevates, Celebrates and Promotes” the park now and for the next 100 years. The centennial celebration kicked off December 5, 2014, during the park’s December Nights celebration and includes special events and exhibits that allow visitors to rediscover Balboa Park. Patrons can enjoy the centennial music series, outdoor international film series, the San Diego Maker Faire and the Grand Finale of the 2015 centennial during this year’s December Nights celebration.

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San Diego Park and Recreation is also celebrating the 100-year anniversary of the La Jolla Recreation Center. La Jolla has historical significance in the field of recreation as one of the oldest recreation centers west of the Mississippi River. It was designated as a historical building by the San Diego Historical Society in 1973. La Jolla opened in 1915 as a gift from Ellen Browning Scripps, a major cultural and civic philanthropist in La Jolla and San Diego.

The center was designed by the noted architect Irving Gill, who also designed many other civic buildings in La Jolla and San Diego. At the time of its opening, the community center and playground represented the state of the art for play equipment and park amenities in the United States.

Today, the La Jolla Recreation Center continues to provide recreation for all patrons and be a place to promote community and civic participation. “There are a number of larger-than-life figures that play prominently in the history of La Jolla and the rec center. Ellen Browning Scripps’ dream for the rec center was to offer a place for fitness and sports for kids and families. It was a novel dream then, but that goal has never changed in 100 years,” says Doug Fitzgerald, president of La Jolla Rec Center.

“Ellen Browning Scripps would be proud about what has come from her dream and how consistent the rec center has been to its original goals. However, I think that many things would be beyond her imagination, such as classes in yoga, karate and our senior dances that have strong appeal,” continues Fitzgerald. “As we think about the future, we want to remain focused on our original goal but be flexible in our offerings and continue to appeal to the next generations of families and children.”

The Centennial Celebration and Rededication for La Jolla Recreation Center will be held July 25, 2015, and includes a plaque dedication and a time capsule burial.

La Jolla Parks and Recreation, Inc. is sponsoring the celebration of the centennial in partnership with the city of San Diego. It also plans to partner with city staff to update playground equipment and other facilities at the site.

Always ahead in science and value.

Catrina Belt is an Editorial Intern for Parks & Recreation magazine (cbelt@nrpa.org).

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Community Center

Notable News n The bipartisan National Discovery Trails Act of 2015 (HR 2661) would create a system of recreational trails crossing state boundaries to link urban, suburban, wilderness and country sites that could be built on federal and non-federal land with the consent of the owners. Non-federal entities that own any property linked to or considered such a trail would still maintain control. The bill would also classify the existing American Discovery Trail as part of the National Trails System.

The roughly 6,000 mile trail runs from Cape Henlopen State Park in Delaware through Maryland, the District of Columbia, West Virginia and Ohio, splits into a northern and southern route in Kentucky (the northern route goes through Indiana, Illinois, Iowa and Nebraska; the southern leg traverses Illinois, Missouri and Kansas), and meets up again in Colorado where it continues as one route through Utah and Nevada before reaching California.

Any new national discovery trail would have to be walkable and cross state lines. n At the end of May, Maine primary care providers who participate in the state’s Let’s Go! Program began handing out state park passes to their young patients to encourage families to be active while experiencing the state’s beauty and history. Let’s Go!, a childhood obesity prevention effort, emphasizes physical activity and healthy food choices. Participating practices use the 5-2-1-0 program with their patients: five servings of fruits and vegetables each day; two hours or less of screen time each day; one hour of physical activity daily; 20 Parks & Recreation

and zero sugary drinks in favor of water. This is the fourth year that the Maine Department of Agriculture, Conservation and Forestry is providing the passes to medical practices. With the exception of Baxter State Park, which is not administered by the state, the one-time use passes are good at any of the state’s 48 parks and historic sites and are valid through December. This year, the department expects to distribute 13,000 passes to 148 medical practices. n AquaClimb, a leading manufacturer of aquatic climbing walls, recently donated $5,000 to the American Childhood Cancer Organization to coincide with this year’s annual Childhood Cancer Action Days, June 15 and 16, hosted by the Alliance for Childhood Cancer. According to Laura Grandner, general manager of AquaClimb, “Childhood cancers get just 4 percent of funding from the National Cancer Institute, and that needs to change.”

Making childhood cancer a national health priority would ensure that more treatments and techniques were developed to specifically address cancers in children, and thus improve survival rates and other outcomes.

The action days center around activities in Washington, D.C., during which cancer organizations from around the nation join together to make their voices heard in Congress.

The campaign is called #StepUp: Make Childhood Cancer a National Health Priority. More than 300 advocates were expected to attend.

For more news from around the industry, visit www.parksandrecreation.org/2015/July/Notable-News.

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NRPA Connect Hot Topics

N

RPA Connect allows you to network and share resources, ideas and inspirations with your peers in the park and recreation field. Haven’t checked out Connect yet?

Here’s a preview of what you’re missing: Park Ambassador program: Your colleagues discuss ideas to start a program that will help staff engage with participants and park visitors. Want to start your own park ambassador program? Descriptions and handbooks are shared in this discussion to help get things underway!

Rules for e-cigarettes: Does your no-smoking ordinance include the use of electronic cigarettes? As e-cigarettes become more popular, there may be a need to update your no-smoking policy. Participants discuss their current policies and plans to amend them to include this new trend.

Lifeguards on deck during swimming lessons: Does your aquatic facility have lifeguards on deck during swimming lessons? Read this discussion to learn how other professionals address this question and share their best safety practices.

Remote-control planes: Requests for permission to use remote-control devices is growing. Your colleagues address how they are handling the demands, including designated locations to use these devices, age restrictions for operators, special permits and developing hobby clubs.

It’s easy to stay in touch. Connect is now 100-percent responsive on all devices! Don’t get left behind — visit www.nrpaconnect.org to join the conversation.

— Hayley MacDonell, NRPA’s Membership Programs Manager

By the Numbers

Waterfront Access It’s summer but, in many places across the country, the heat waves that accompany the season started well before it officially began. Parks and recreation centers, especially those with waterfronts and water features, are sure to experience a higher level of use as people look for fun ways to cool off. By mining the data you provided in PRORAGIS, the preeminent database for parks and recreation agency operational information, we can offer you the following snapshot of agencies with waterfront access:

53: Percentage of agencies that

report having lake/river access.

14: Percentage of agencies that report having ocean/beach access.

7: Percentage of agencies that offer water skiing.

18: Percentage of agencies that report having a marina/livery.

29: Average percentage of the

agencies that charge a fee for use of the facility.

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Of the agencies that reported having a marina/livery:

5 have boat ramps 19 offer boat/canoe rentals 285 offer slip rentals 1 has a fuel station

Source: PRORAGIS, the national recreation and parks database. Note: We recently rolled out PRORAGIS 2.0 and encourage you to visit www.NRPAPRORAGIS.com to check out all the new features it provides.

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People For Parks Stellar Supervisor

By Samantha Bartram

S

upervisor Bill Reilich lived in his hometown of Greece, New York, long before he rose to its highest position of governance. He went to Greece public schools, rode bikes in the town’s streets and cultivated a deep love for the tiny upstate enclave. He established his first business in Greece (a home alarm/security company), learning the ropes of how to successfully lead his almost 60 employees. After years of feeling professionally, and personally, responsible for the safety of his clients and neighbors, Reilich felt the call to public service. Now, as Supervisor of Greece, Reilich is finally in a position to make positive, lasting changes that benefit his community, including a wholesale facelift of the town’s parks and recreation facilities. “I recognize parks add a great opportunity for recreation in this day and age when we’re looking for things to do out in our community,” Reilich says. “Parks are a way to provide something for everyone — a spray park for the youngest, pickleball for seniors, pavilions for everyone to enjoy — something for every segment.”

Making Plans Before taking the helm of Greece’s affairs, Reilich served 11 years as the Member of Assembly for the 134th district, including the towns of Greece, Ogden and Parma. He was

overwhelmingly elected to serve as Supervisor of Greece in 2013 and was sworn into office January 1, 2014. Eighteen months later, Reilich can boast an impressive roster of park- and recreation-related accom-

Greece, New York, residents can now enjoy pickleball on six dedicated courts located in a convenient, central location on the Town Hall grounds.

Supervisor Bill Reilich

plishments. He updated Greece’s outdated Parks Master Plan, hired Peter O’Brien as Greece’s first Director of Parks and Recreation and got the ball rolling on several projects. “Bill is putting quality of life at the forefront for the residents of Greece,” O’Brien says.

Thus far, this new standard of quality includes a new park lodge at Braddock Bay Park (a 375-acre park within the 3,000-acre Braddock Bay Fish and Wildlife Management area), revitalization of a 37,000-square-foot community and senior center, and construction of a state-of-the-art entertainment pavilion on Town Hall campus, six pickleball-only courts, and an almost 5,000-square-foot splashpad and spraypark (the region’s largest).

Give ’Em What They Want Of the above-mentioned amenities, pickleball and the giant splashpad have received the most community accolades. “We heard from residents that they wanted to see pickleball,” Reilich explains. “We already had [the courts], but they cohabitated with our tennis courts. So, on our

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PARKS & R Salsbu

Town Hall campus — which consists of the hall, our senior center, library, courthouse and police station — we added six courts exclusively for pickleball. We’re in the process of adding lights so during the winter months we can offer ice skating for residents.”

The younger set in Greece is beyond excited about their new splashpad, opened this summer. “It’s the largest spraypark in the area,” Reilich says. “It’s something for younger residents to enjoy. It has an animal theme, plantings — almost a Disney aspect to it.” Demand for the feature was also robust among the community’s voting population — “Our Parks Master Plan included a survey, and the overwhelming response was that residents wanted a spraypark. Two or three surrounding towns have them and we did not, so people had to drive 30 minutes [to the nearest one]. Why, when there could be one right down the road?”

As of press time, perhaps the most buzz-creating recreational event in Greece had yet to take place, but this writer would wager Reilich’s “Old-Fashioned Fourth of July Celebration” went off with a major bang. For the past decade, a local church hosted the town’s Independence Day festivities, but “it was overwhelming for them,” Reilich explains. “They needed lots of volunteers and it became too much. When that ended [in 2014], I said we should [host a celebration] as a town…let’s bring it to the town, do it on Town Hall property and have fireworks, bands — all free to the community. It’s something that brings us back together to meet our neighbors and have a great time.”

“There are not a lot of things for free things in this world, but parks are something people can go to and enjoy for free. That’s why I’m a big supporter.”

Jan, Mar, May, Jul, Sep, Nov

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

Looking Ahead We’re just scratching the surface of what Reilich has planned for Greece’s parks and public spaces. Environmental restoration projects, playground overhauls, scouting plans Active Living Research to build a new lodge, acquisition of additional parkland and reclama1/4 Page Conference 2016 tion of a nearby marina are already 3.375” 4.75” Color Advancing knowledge and action around activexcommunities. underway. Down the line, Reilich Parks_Rec2 (Indesign doc.)

Submit your abstract by 28th August 2015 envisions a sledding hill, dugouts Register by 6th November 2015 at all the town’s baseball fields and so much more. “We’ll continue to 31 January – 3 February 2016 look at our parks and make improveHilton Clearwater Beach, Florida, USA ments,” he says. “We’re taking our Visit parks and tweaking what we have to alr-conference.com #ALR2016 keep up with trends and the needs of our citizens.

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Member to Member LGBTQ Teens in Recreation Programs

By Randy Wiger

L

esbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Queer and Questioning (LGBTQ) teens are coming out ever younger, and they and their families are requesting services and accommodations that meet their needs. Recreation and parks departments may believe the services they provide are available for everyone equally, and that LGBTQ youth are therefore already included in the programs they offer. But we know from a growing number of instances that minorities who are not deliberately and intentionally included are left out. Simply providing an opportunity and a program is not sufficient for authentic engagement.

Why LGBTQ Teens need Recreation Programs Much literature and resources focus on homeless LGBTQ teens, and they are disproportionately represented. Often, as many as 40 percent of a city’s homeless teens are LGBTQ, even though LGBTQ people are at most 10 percent of the overall population. As important as it is to assist homeless LGBTQ teens, it is equally important to address the needs of non-homeless LGBTQ teens. In Seattle — with an estimated population of 668,000 as of 2014 — there are approximately 400 homeless LGBTQ youth (age 24 and under) out

of a conservative estimate of 2,300 LGBTQ youth of middle- and highschool age. If one looks at the larger metro area — and we should, because teens are mobile and will use recreation facilities regardless of where they live — with a population of 2 million, then a conservative estimate is that almost 7,000 LGBTQ youth of middleand high-school age may be using the city’s facilities and programs.

Some of these youth have supportive parents, schools and friends. Many do not and are struggling because of attitudes about their sexual orientation and/or gender expression that are imposed on them by family, school staff and friends. Regardless of how many LGBTQ youth there are in your city or service area, and regardless of how many may be homeless or housing insecure, they all need our help. On average, LGBTQ teens experience depression, miss days at school and attempt suicide at rates two to five times higher than their heterosexual peers.

What Can Parks and Recreation Departments Do? Many departments use a “youth de-

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velopment model” or tools such as the “40 Developmental Assets” to guide them in serving teens. In this sense, LGBTQ teens are not that different from any other teens, although, because of the unique challenges they face as minorities, staff will need to be knowledgeable and comfortable discussing these challenges. So, how does a department effectively serve a population of teens and provide positive role models for them if none of its staff share essential characteristics with them?

In other words, how many of your department’s teen program staff are openly LGBTQ? And how many are openly LGBTQ and of color?

Even when departments have staff members who are comfortable being visibly and openly LGBTQ, it is almost certain that the majority of the staff who interact with teens will be heterosexual. Therefore, there is a need to develop cultural competency and allies in your workforce to ensure all staff are knowledgeable, effective and supportive of the LGBTQ teens they serve. If you think your department is not serving any LGBTQ teens, I would ask, “How do you know?”

If LGBTQ teens currently participating in your programs are not comfortable or feel safe enough to let your staff know, then it may be an indication that your department has some work to do to be truly welcoming for all teens.

Getting Started During the past five years of figuring out what works to engage LGBTQ teens in Seattle, I’ve identified three broad goals to guide the department’s efforts: Ensuring LGBTQ youth are adequately informed of ongoing teen and youth programming the department regularly develops and delivers. This means staff has to know where LGBTQ teens are, how to reach them, how to gain their trust and what methods and media they use to get information.

Ensuring all of the department’s teen and youth programs and facilities are safe and welcoming for ALL teens, including all LGBTQ teens and youth. The goal here is to develop all staffs’ ability to be culturally competent in relating to and working with LGBTQ teens.

Creating programming specific to LGBTQ youth as needed. This goal addresses the reality that universal teen programs may need work to be sufficiently safe and welcoming for LGBTQ teens. In the meantime, it may be necessary to offer versions of these programs specifically for LGBTQ teens (and their friends and allies). This goal also sometimes means that there may be program topics of interest to LGBTQ teens that your department currently does not offer and may need to develop.

1

2

3

Next Steps A good way to find specific resources and potential local partners is to seek out LGBTQ community organizations in your area, and any organizations that focus on providing programs for LGBTQ teens, and then call them up and start a dialogue. Almost every state has at least one central LGBTQ community organization, and most major cities have one or more. So get on the Internet and start reaching out!

There are a number of great resources of information about LGBTQ teens including: The Gay Lesbian Straight Educator’s Network (GSLEN), www.GLSEN.org; Parents and Friends of Lesbians and Gays, www.community.pflag. org; the True Colors Fund, www.truecolorsfund.org; and the It Gets Better Project, which has archived more than 50,000 videotaped stories from people who may share life situations or characteristics of the youth you are serving. Visit www.itgetsbetter.org.

For additional resources, visit www.parksandrecreation. org/2015/July/LGBTQ-Teens-in-Recreation-Programs.

Randy Wiger is the Parks Commons Program Coordinator for the Seattle Department of Parks and Recreation (randy.wiger@seattle.gov).

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ADVOCACY

King v. Burwell: An Explainer

By Oliver Spurgeon III

J

une 25, the Supreme Court upheld one of the central tenets of the Affordable Care Act (ACA). The Court ruled that the federal government can legally provide tax credits to help low- and middle-income individuals purchase health insurance. The Court’s decision leaves the current health system intact, which means that nothing should change for you, your family, friends or coworkers. The law still requires Americans to have health insurance and large employers — those with more than 50 full-time employees — to provide health insurance for their employees. What follows is a summary of the decision.

Background: King v. Burwell The ACA created marketplaces, known as exchanges, where individuals can shop for health insurance.

Under the ACA, the IRS provides tax credits to purchase health insurance through exchanges for individuals and households with incomes between 100 percent and 400 percent of the federal poverty threshold. The law allows states to create their own exchanges, and it also allows the federal government to step in and run exchanges

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when states refuse to create their own.

Currently, the federal government runs exchanges in 37 states that declined to create or run their own exchanges.

King v. Burwell focused on five words in the ACA — “exchange established by the State”— and was filed to determine whether the federal government can legally provide tax credits to purchase health insurance through federally created exchanges. The plaintiffs argued that no one in these 37 states should be eligible for tax credits because the

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ACA Primary Provisions: 1. Prevents denial of coverage by insurers due to health reasons, and bars insurers for charging higher premiums due to health reasons 2. Requires individuals to maintain health insurance or pay a fee, unless insurance costs exceed 8 percent of their income 3. Provides tax credits to individuals with incomes between 100 percent and 400 percent of the federal poverty line to make health insurance more affordable 4. Requires the creation of exchanges in each state, allowing individuals to compare and buy insurance plans. In instances where states refuse to create exchanges, the federal government steps in to establish and run them.

exchanges were created by the federal government and are not an “exchange established by the State.”

Supreme Court’s Rationale The ACA contains four primary provisions (see table). If any of these

four provisions were removed or struck from the law, the fundamental structure of the ACA would become compromised. Premiums would increase and insurers would leave the marketplace, destabilizing the entire health insurance system.

Where statutory/legislative language is clear, the Supreme Court is required to enforce that language as stated. However, in instances of ambiguity — as in the ACA language under scrutiny here — the Court must read words “in their context and with a view to their place in the overall statutory scheme.” This small portion of the ACA is ambiguous, so the Court had to look at the broader structure of the bill to determine its compatibility with the rest of the law and the intent of Congress. The Court, in short, said

that poor writing skills and ambiguity shouldn’t be used to deny tax credits to help people purchase health insurance. The larger intent of the law, and Congress’ passage of the bill, was to expand access to health insurance.

King v. Burwell’s Impacts While King v. Burwell focused on the legality of tax credits, some of you may have additional concerns about the case’s effect on the employer mandate — the requirement that large employers, with more than 50 full-time employees (FTEs), provide health insurance. The Court’s decision means: • Tax credits are still available to help low- and middle-income individuals and families purchase health insurance through federaland state-run exchanges.

• Large employers (with more than 50 FTEs) in states with federally run exchanges are still required to provide insurance for their employees.

• NRPA members residing in states that run their own exchanges will still have to comply with the requirements of the ACA. King v.

Burwell had no bearing on operations or individuals in those states.

We hope this clears up any confusion that exists about the July 25 Supreme Court decision. Feel free to email me if you have any additional questions or concerns. You can also find additional background about this decision at www.parksandrecreation.org/2015/July/King-v-Burwell-an-Explainer.

Oliver Spurgeon III is NRPA’s Government Affairs Manager (ospurgeon@nrpa.org).

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L AW R E V I E W

Troubled Triathlete Expelled From Recreation Program

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

T

itle II of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) prohibits disability discrimination by local government. Similarly, Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act prohibits disability discrimination by recipients of federal assistance, including states. In the case of Talevski v.

Regents of the University of California, 2015 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 54895 (S.D. Calif.

4/27/2015), plaintiff alleged disability discrimination against the University of California at San Diego (UCSD) after she was dismissed for her allegedly inappropriate behavior in a recreational triathlon program. Based on her bipolar disorder, plaintiff is considered a “disabled individual” within the meaning of the ADA and Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act. In addition to educational programs, UCSD also operates recreational programs open to the general public. Plaintiff enrolled in UCSD’s triathlon program. The coaches in the program were aware of “the nature of plaintiff ’s disability.” UCSD’s recreation department provides recreation programs for students, facul-

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ty, staff and the community at large.

One program, called the Master Sports Program (Program), provides running, swimming and triathlon training.

The Program offered group classes, and did not offer one-on-one coaching. The group workout sessions consist of about 50 participants in each

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class, with some sessions numbering 100 athletes. On average, approximately 400 individuals participate in the Program each quarter and may attend any of 27 different workout sessions during the week. The personnel in the Program include two full-time coaches and about 16 other part-time assistant coaches. The high number of participants requires that the coaches “remain alert and focused on potential safety issues.”

Code of Conduct In order to participate in the Program, each individual was required to read, sign and abide by the Athlete and Coaches Code of Conduct (Code). The Code required participants to “be courteous and polite

during all scheduled workouts,” “treat each other with respect and courtesy,” refrain from “unreasonable loud, abusive, negative or foul language,” refrain from “anger directed at another athlete or coach,” refrain from “physical or emotional outbursts during scheduled workouts,” and refrain from “any kind of harassment directed toward another athlete or coach.”

When plaintiff commenced the Program in 2009, and again every quarter throughout her participation in the Program, plaintiff acknowledged that she would abide by the Code. Notwithstanding “minor” disruptions in the Program attributable to plaintiff ’s disability, plaintiff was able to successfully participate in the Program, including general compliance with the Code. After plaintiff stopped taking her medications, she started to experience a depressive episode and had occasional emotional outbursts while participating in the Program. She also developed a harmless yet obsessive affection for another participant in the Program.

On January 31, 2012, plaintiff was informed by the UCSD director of recreation that she was suspended from the Program because her behavior violated “the Athletes and Coaches Code of Conduct for the Masters Sports Program.” The letter provided to plaintiff stated, among other things: a. You regularly blurted out comments during the workout that were inappropriate and loud. b. You became angry at a fellow swimmer because you felt she spoke to you in a degrading manner. c. During the course of the workout you would randomly complain about people in your life that were apparently bullying you.

d. You have, on a few occasions, had crying outbursts because of some of your own personal struggles.

On February 6, 2012, plaintiff was expelled from the Program.

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acknowledged that she would abide by the Code.

Rehabilitation Act Claim In her disability discrimination complaint, plaintiff alleged that her conduct was “the result of a person with manic-depressive disorder as they were manifestations of the despair, irritability, insecurity and obsessive-compulsive behavior that are among the classic symptoms of bipolar disorder.” In response, UCSD claimed it had “a legitimate nondiscriminatory reason for dismissing plaintiff from the Program” because she violated the Code.

As described by the federal district court, to state a claim under the Rehabilitation Act, a plaintiff must allege the following: (1) she is an individual with a disability; (2) she is otherwise qualified to receive the benefit; (3) she was denied the benefits of the Program solely by reason of her disability; and (4) the Program receives federal financial assistance.

In this particular instance, the parties agreed plaintiff is “an individual diagnosed with a recognized disability, Bipolar Disorder Type 1, and UCSD receives federal financial assis-

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L AW R E V I E W

tance.” Accordingly, the issue before the federal court was whether plaintiff was “otherwise qualified” to participate in the recreational Program.

As cited by the federal district court, a “qualified individual” under the Rehabilitation Act is “one who is able to meet all of a program’s requirements in spite of her handicap, with or without accommodation.” In this particular instance, the federal district court found plaintiff had alleged sufficient facts to establish she was an otherwise qualified individual with a disability. Specifically, the court found evidence on the record that plaintiff was able to successfully participate in the Program, including general compliance with the Code.

Code was “an integral aspect of the Program” for qualified participants.

Instead, plaintiff disputed whether she had indeed violated the Code and/or whether UCSD had “accommodated her disability.”

In a January 2012 meeting, two of the coaches informed the recreation director that plaintiff had been a Program participant for about three years. The coaches further informed the director that “plaintiff ’s presence in the Program had been tumultuous and that she had violated the Code.”

The coaches explained “that they gave second chances for many of these rule violations because they felt bad for her, but they expressed concern that the incidents were becom-

Even though plaintiff had never requested any type of accommodation, the recreation director and health director discussed accommodations, but determined the dismissal was appropriate.

Having found sufficient facts to establish a claim under the Rehabilitation Act, the federal court noted that the burden would then shift to UCSD “to articulate a legitimate, nondiscriminatory reason for its action.”

Further, if a legitimate nondiscriminatory reason was established, the burden would shift back to plaintiff to “prove that the proffered legitimate reason is a pretext for discrimination” on the basis of her disability.

Non-Discriminatory Reason?

As noted above, UCSD claimed “a legitimate reason for terminating plaintiff ’s participation in the Program because she violated the Code.”

Plaintiff did not dispute that the 32 Parks & Recreation

ing more frequent and more severe.”

In addition, the coaches provided several specific instances of misconduct, including a number of incidents where plaintiff had been “disruptive in practices, including blurting out inappropriate comments, demanding attention of the coaches and interrupting workouts.” In each instance, the coaches stated they were “forced to interrupt the workout” to deal with plaintiff, and “often could not focus on monitoring the safety of workouts because of her actions.” As a result, the director found plaintiff ’s conduct constituted a serious violation of the Code because each interruption by plaintiff “required coaches to provide her with individualized attention at

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the detriment of the safety and training of every other participant.”

The recreation director subsequently met with the UCSD director of student health to discuss his concerns about plaintiff ’s bipolar disorder and whether there were “any other ways the Program might accommodate her presence.” In the absence of any alternative accommodations, the director had indicated “plaintiff ’s repeated violations of the Code warranted dismissal from the Program.”

Even though plaintiff had never requested any type of accommodation, the recreation director and health director discussed accommodations, but determined that dismissal was appropriate under the circumstances.

In the opinion of the UCSD health director, the staff had bent over backward for three years to try to keep plaintiff in the Program. Moreover, in the opinion of the health director, the coaching staff was effectively required to fill the role of plaintiff ’s full-time counselor, rather than coach. Also, plaintiff ’s conduct was having a negative impact on other participants. Specifically, the monopolization of the coaches by plaintiff “came at the detriment of the other paying participants who complained about it.” The only possible accommodation that had been identified by plaintiff ’s medical expert was that she “could have been referred to a mental health counseling unit or program.”

In the opinion of the federal district court, UCSD had “met its burden in demonstrating that plaintiff ’s numerous Code violations established a legitimate basis for plaintiff ’s discharge from the Program.”

In so doing, the court noted that “this case does not deal with the accommodation of a disability in the context of fundamental rights such

as primary and secondary education or in employment.” Rather, the court found “the Program is open to the public and provides group classes for participants who desire to improve their physical fitness.”

Given the group nature of the classes (approximately 50 participants per class with one, possibly two, coaches), plaintiff ’s disruptive conduct undermined the ability of the coaches to provide effective group coaching.

Conduct Code Violations?

Having established a legitimate nondiscriminatory reason for UCSD’s actions, the burden then shifted to plaintiff “to come forward with evidence to show that the proffered reasons were a pretext for disability discrimination.”

Having signed a form acknowledging that she read and understood the Code, plaintiff testified that she indeed “understood her conduct had to comply with the Code.” That being said, plaintiff maintained that there was “a question of fact as to whether she violated the Code.” Specifically, plaintiff denied that she ever engaged in any inappropriate behavior while participating in the Program. Moreover, plaintiff claimed “no one ever mentioned the Code of Conduct and no one ever said I was doing anything that violated the Code of Conduct,” even after she received the dismissal letter from the recreation director.

While “the overwhelming weight of evidence” favored UCSD, in light of plaintiff ’s denial of any violations of the Code, the federal district court found further trial proceedings would be necessary to determine the facts and credibility of the evidence.

Viable Accommodation?

UCSD alleged plaintiff had never re

quested, nor had she ever identified “any viable accommodation” related to her disability. As noted by the federal district court, plaintiff had “the ultimate burden to show that defendant [UCSD] failed to reason-

ably accommodate her disability.”

As noted, the only accommodation suggested by plaintiff ’s medical expert was that UCSD “could have referred plaintiff to a mental health counseling unit.” In addition, plain-

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L AW R E V I E W

tiff argued that UCSD “could have suspended her and later readmitted her once she stabilized and began taking her medications.” That being said, plaintiff ’s medical expert acknowledged that no one could have made plaintiff “take her medication if she refused to do so.”

Accordingly, the federal district court found plaintiff had failed to “identify or explain how a referral to a mental health professional or an indefinite suspension would have accommodated her disability.”

Unlike a ramp for the mobility impaired, or a sign language interpreter for the hearing impaired, that directly addresses and accommodates the disability, a referral to a mental health professional accomplishes nothing…

There is simply no evidence to show that if plaintiff were referred to a medical health professional, she would immediately be accommodated…It is not the referral to a mental health professional that has the potential to accommodate plaintiff ’s bipolar condition. Rather, it is the treatment received from a mental health professional that would address, treat and accommodate plaintiff ’s condition.

As a result, the federal district court denied plaintiff ’s

claim the UCSD had failed to “reasonably accommodate” her disability by failing to refer plaintiff to a mental health counseling unit.

Interactive Process?

Further, once she began exhibiting “obsessive-compulsive behaviors and threatened to commit suicide,” plaintiff claimed “her behavior placed the coaches on notice that they were under a mandatory obligation to refer her to mental health professional.” The federal district court rejected this argument.

Having signed a form acknowledging that she read and understood the Code, plaintiff testified that she indeed “understood her conduct had to comply with the Code.”

In so doing, the court found such assistance was only required by the ADA in an employment situation. In the context of employment, where an employer knows of an employee’s disability and the employee is unable to make an accommodation request, under the ADA, the employer must assist in initiating the interactive process to discuss accommodations.

In this particular instance, the federal district noted “plaintiff ’s claim does not arise under the ADA (although there is substantial overlap with the Rehabilitation Act) nor in the context of employment.” Unlike “fundamental rights such as employment and education,” the court found, further, plaintiff ’s participation in the program was “not generally considered indispensable to maintaining a productive and sustainable livelihood.”

Attending and participating in a group exercise class, one of hundreds of thousands of classes available in San Diego County, is a voluntary and discretionary activity. Plaintiff is one of many voluntary participants in a group exercise class with emphasis on triathlon.

As a result, the federal district court found UCSD had no legal duty “to employ mental health professionals, or to provide sufficient training to its coaches to become proficient in recognizing debilitating mental health issues in participants in the Program.” Further, in the absence of such a duty, UCSD had no responsibility to “then refer that participant to a mental health professional who may

34 Parks & Recreation

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or may not provide successful treatment over weeks, months or years.”

Under the circumstances of this case, defendant [UCSD] was not under a duty to engage in a mandatory interactive process. The coaches oversee about 27 classes per week, each with about 50 participants in each class. Plaintiff did not enroll in private classes where she could obtain individualized attention, but in large group classes.

Under the circumstances of this case, the coaches, who are trainers and not mental health professionals, were not under a mandatory obligation to identify and diagnose plaintiff ’s mental health issues, refer plaintiff for mental health treatment, provide mental health treatment or engage in an employer-type interactive accommodation.

ation director. Had such documented due process evidence been available in this particular instance, it is likely the federal district court would have dismissed this case without further trial proceedings.

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.

Conclusion Having rejected plaintiff ’s claim that UCSD had failed to accommodate her disability, the federal district court would nonetheless allow further trial proceedings to fully consider the sole remaining issue of dispute between the parties, i.e., whether plaintiff had indeed violated the Code. That being said, on the pretrial record alone, the court acknowledged “the overwhelming weight of evidence” would suggest that plaintiff had violated the Code, prompting her expulsion from the Program.

With 20-20 hindsight, it may have been helpful to have had some minimal due process in place to document initial and ongoing violations of the UCSD Code of Conduct. In so doing, Program participants would be provided written notice of alleged Code violations and be provided a reasonable opportunity to respond in an informal hearing before the recre

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35

FUTURE LEADERS

Preserving Our Connection to This Land

By Michael J. Bradley, Ph.D., and Jody M. Baker

J

uly is a special time of year for people in the United States. A few short days into the month, we celebrate the independence of our nation with fireworks, picnics and more. As summer really begins to sizzle, many people spend more time outside than they do during the rest of the year.

Families take vacations, kids are out of school and outdoor recreation is big business. Summer is special for parks and recreation professionals because exciting outdoor programming is underway and participation is at its peak.

While news and research indicates children are spending less and less time outside, the summer months serve as an exception to this modern rule.

Outdoor recreation is in high gear for youth whether at swimming pools, backyards, summer camps or parks.

Summer is often the time many kids begin to cultivate their connection to nature and the many vast open green spaces the United States has to offer.

While the physiological, psychological and social benefits of kids being outside are well document-

36 Parks & Recreation

ed, an additional benefit is perhaps overlooked. Getting our children outdoors and engaged with nature creates a connection to our national values and practice of preserving sacred places. A short moment spent reminiscing about childhood summers probably recalls memories of picnics, smells of cut grass and ice cream. It is important to also consider, however, where these memorable moments took place. These authors would venture to guess many readers’ special memories are set in back-

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yards, local lakes, forests, swimming pools and parks — scared places.

As the pinnacle celebration of patriotism gears up, we must ask ourselves: Are we cultivating a sense of why this land is so dear to us, and are we passing that along to new generations?

There is no doubt outdoor recreation improves a child’s well-being, but it is also vital in creating a sense of pride, stewardship and gratuity for our natural spaces. Taking children to America’s sacred places provides an opportunity to recreate outdoors and a chance to understand how these historical, cultural and/or natural areas define what America was, is and can be.

These unique places preserve the essence of America and are special to each of us. It is time for park and recreation professionals to add another justification for getting our nation’s

youth outdoors — children need outdoor recreation experiences to help develop their sense of national pride.

Outdoor recreation may look differently than it did in decades past, but changing times do not erase the importance of preserving and promoting these special places to our children.

While debates related to technology in outdoor recreation, programmed versus unprogrammed experiences, and freerange versus supervised recreation continue, the simple act of getting children outside moves beyond these arguments.

Recently a friend asked, “Aren’t you afraid of the priorities of the selfie generation?” Not at all. When youth take “selfies” at park sites or during recreation, they are indicating the importance of that experience or place.

A quick flip through a person’s photo

collections will reveal their priorities in life and serve as a slideshow of things they hold dear. Instead of lamenting the priorities of today’s youth, perhaps we ought to ask, “Are we ensuring future generations have the opportunity to visit grand national spaces that inspire the taking of a selfie?”

During a recent speaking engagement, Dr. Carolyn Ward of the Blueridge Parkway Foundation may have communicated the best philosophy regarding connecting kids to nature. Ward made it clear that the focus should not be on how our children experience these wonderful places and interact with nature, history and culture. The focus should be on the simple fact they are experiencing all of those things at all, not to mention developing deeper connections to America’s

sacred natural spaces in their own way.

In time, these same children may look to visceral, physical interactions with nature as a welcome respite from technology’s growing influence.

As summer continues and so many of us head outside, remember to embrace whatever way your children choose to connect to this great nation and the wonderful parks, green spaces and activities we all hold dear. The health benefits are essential for these children, but building that sense of place is also critical for the future of our nation, its communities and its sacred places.

Michael J. Bradley, Ph.D., is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Recreation and Park Administration at Eastern Kentucky University (michael.bradley@eku. edu). Jody M. Baker is the Activities Director for Tulsa County Parks in Tulsa, Oklahoma (jbaker@tulsacounty.org).

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37

Got Weeds? Get Goats!

By Richard J. Dolesh

D

o you have any park areas that are choked with noxious weeds, climbing vines and invasive plants? Do you ever think, “Wouldn’t it be great if there was a safe, sustainable, long-term solution that not only controlled ALL the weeds, but that also returned the park areas to productive use?”

Well, if you can find one of the small but growing businesses near you that provide a herd of hungry goats, your toughest weed control problems may be solved.

First, let us all agree that there are lots of definitions of “weeds.” A weed has been defined as a plant that is not growing where it is wanted, a plant that competes with cultivated plants, and, as Ralph Waldo Emerson famously said, “a plant whose virtues have not yet been discovered.” Many “weeds” are actually beneficial wildflowers with value to pollinators. However, no matter how we define a weed, we can all likely agree with Penn State University’s extension service that weeds are “plants whose undesirable qualities outweigh their good points.”

38 Parks & Recreation

In public-use areas of parks, the control of weeds and invasive plants presents a larger problem. The goals of managing for people, as well as for nature and other environmental benefits, may come into conflict when aggressive unwanted vegetation takes over public-use areas or otherwise diminishes opportunities to utilize parks in multiple ways.

Many park and recreation systems have park areas that have become so infested with weeds, vines and invasive plants that such areas are all but lost to public use. De-

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pending on the plant species growing in these parks, such areas may not even provide good habitat for wildlife and birds.

In park areas where the weeds are virtually impossible to eradicate, spraying with herbicides is usually the last resort because it is the only means of controlling such vegetation.

Many park and recreation agencies do spray with herbicides, although there is increasing reluctance to do so, especially in public-use areas.

Agencies want to employ more sustainable practices and maintenance superintendents have become much more sensitive to the public’s wishes to reduce herbicide use. Parents and families would rather not have their kids and pets playing in areas that have been treated, even if all possible precautions have been taken.

Until recently, however, there have been few good alternatives to herbicide use. The city of Fayette, Arkansas, has had to deal with the spread of certain invasive and indigenous plant species in their parks and they have started looking for innovative solutions as well as traditional methods.

The Fayette Parks and Recreation Division has mobilized a corps of citizen volunteers, according to Kristina Jones, their volunteer and community program coordinator, who donated more than 1,400 hours last year in their Adopt-A-Park program. “We are looking for innovative ways to tackle these weeds. If we don’t there is just no way we can keep our parks usable and enjoyable,” she says.

Enter the goats. Connie Rieper-Estes, a local owner of a small goat farm and business named Greedy Goats Green Yard Care, saw a Facebook post about the park and recreation department doing invasive plant control with volunteers. “I clicked ‘like’ and one thing led to another and we connected,” Rieper-Estes says. A plan was devised to help with invasive plant control at Fayette Parks and Recreation properties, and Greedy Goats volunteered their herds in the Adopt-a-Park program. “Goats will eat just about everything when they are let loose in an area,” Rieper-Estes says. “They just love poison ivy — it is like candy to them. And they love Chinese privet, bush honeysuckle, vine honeysuckle, Callery pear — you name it, they’ll eat it.”

Byron Humphrey, Fayette’s park maintenance superintendent, had heard about goats being used for vegetation control from a citizen in Stillwater, Oklahoma, so he was favorable to the idea. He said his park department didn’t want to buy goats

themselves, but when Greedy Goats offered their services he was willing to give it a try. The site chosen for the goats’ initial salad bar was in one of Fayette’s more-frequented parks. It was a natural area on a steep slope that became overgrown and is now unmowable. “This project will get a lot of exposure and create a lot of awareness,” Humphrey says.

Perhaps one of the best outcomes of the project is the public awareness and education opportunities created to highlight the impacts of invasive species. Volunteer coordinator Jones says, “We are capitalizing on this project to educate the public, some of whom have never even heard of invasive species.” She noted that the Fayette City Council is considering legislation to regulate invasive species so the timing of this project is very helpful. With significant media attention and buzz in the local community, people are learning not just about how goats can control vegetation, but about the impacts and economic damage that invasives can cause.

“According to my research,” says Rieper-Estes, “there are about 60 businesses like mine around the country.” John Sydnor, executive director of the Enrichmond Foundation in Richmond, Virginia, has been enthusiastic about using goats for overgrown landscapes in the city of Richmond’s parks and has helped coordinate several park projects, including one fully funded by a Kickstarter campaign. Depending on the size of Enrichmond’s projects, they have used one or two sheepherding dogs as guard animals. They even coined a new term for what they are doing —“goatscaping.” Presently, Sydnor says his company is working on a project to establish an apple orchard and using goats to clear an area

totally overgrown with kudzu. His answer to what the best outcomes of goatscaping were for the Richmond Department of Parks, Recreation and Community Facilities: “We are helping the city in a way they could not really do themselves. It’s environmentally friendly, and best of all, it has brought great publicity to our foundation and the city.”

One consideration for park agencies has been the cost of goatscaping, both direct and indirect. “We don’t know how to place a dollar value on this in order to compare it to the value of volunteer service,” Jones says, “but it has gotten a ton of attention.” Fayetteville is also evaluating the amount of time and resources needed to set up and monitor its program. Greedy Goats is providing all services, including set up of an inner electric fence and an outer orange safety fence, and bringing the goats to the site every day. They even brought a baby goat for kids to pet — no petting of the adult goats is permitted.

While Rieper-Estes has volunteered her goats through the Adopt-a-Park program, most other goat businesses simply contract with park and recreation agencies for their services.

Rieper-Estes says, however, “We have already gotten business from this project. People called us and said, ‘This is exactly what I have been looking for.

We don’t want to use poisons, and we don’t care how long it takes.’”

Goats may be the next big thing in invasive weed control in parks, but Sydnor of Enrichmond Foundation says, “We are now looking at donkeys. Not only do they eat the kudzu, but they are fantastic guard animals as well.”

Richard J. Dolesh is NRPA’s Vice President of Conservation and Parks (rdolesh@nrpa.org).

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39

Access to Sports Is Access to Health

By Jimmy O’Connor

T

hese days, we’re hearing a lot of talk about health and wellness. During the past few years, the Let’s Move campaign and My Plate nutrition guidelines have been in the national spotlight as ways to reduce obesity, heart disease and Type 2 diabetes. However, improving one’s health and wellness starts locally — and often at a park or within a recreation center. As a park and recreation professional, you know the role your agency’s programs and facilities play in improving health in your community. You also know there is not a one-size-fits-all strategy for better health, particularly when it comes to children.

Youth sports are an activity that often disguises its health and wellness impact behind an image of fun and celebration.

Many children love playing sports and many enjoy being part of a team. They don’t go into sports thinking about how movement will strengthen muscles and improve flexibility or how deep breaths improve lung capacity. They probably aren’t thinking about the calories they will burn. Kids go into sports because they want to have fun. However, many children are only able to participate in

40 Parks & Recreation

sports because of the opportunities created through local parks and recreation.

Creating access to safe, affordable sports is a significant benefit to youngsters. And, providing opportunities for children with interests in nontraditional sports ensures everyone has the opportunity to engage in healthy physical activity. This is just what ESPN had in mind when it approached NRPA last year with a desire to improve children’s access to sports through local, community-based park and recreation

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programs. Born from the belief that all children should have the opportunity to participate in sports, ESPN Access to Sports grants fund programs and projects to support youth sports. In spring 2015, grants of $15,000 each were awarded to Los Angeles, California; Hartford, Connecticut; Coral Gables, Florida; New York, New York; Mecklenburg County, North Carolina; Chicago, Illinois; and Austin, Texas.

For more information, visit www.nrpa. org/ESPNaccesstosports or contact Colleen Pittard at cpittard@nrpa.org.

The grants are helping to expand girls softball and basketball programs, develop Ultimate Frisbee, start up street hockey and make infrastructure improvements to park spaces supporting youth sports. For example, Mecklenburg County is using its grant to renovate three youth

baseball/softball fields in a lowincome neighborhood. The Chicago Park District recognized girls sports as a growing need and is directing its grant to a girls basketball program.

And, Coral Gables is repairing the tennis court in Phillips Park, allowing youth programming to be expanded within this low-income community.

Just as hiding a bit of spinach in lasagna is an easy way to increase children’s intake of healthy greens, encouraging children to participate in youth sports is a great way to boost healthy activity. However, many private leagues price families out of sports through registration and equipment fees or travel requirements. Park and recreation-based sports not only provide a lower-cost opportunity for children to play sports, but they also

offer avenues for children to participate in nontraditional sports, such as skateboarding, parkour, dance and BMX. Youth sports have seen a steady decline in participation in recent years. A 2014 joint report by espnW and The Aspen Institute’s Project Play, summarized at www.aspenprojectplay.org/ the-facts, provides a look at the barriers and perceptions of youth sports today and the future challenges associated with a decline in youth fitness — from lack of military preparedness to shortened lifespans.

Grants, such as ESPN Access to Sports, to increase children’s participation in sports are helping park and recreation agencies expand their reach and impact. These grants allow agencies to target community needs and

desires that have been identified but lack funding. However, as a park and recreation professional, you should not wait for a grant to do what you know needs to be done. Ensure your community outreach — fliers, emails, newsletters, etc. — actually reach the community. Make sure your community knows that your agency is more than ball fields and butterflies. With the expertise of your cadre of staff, partners and instructors, your agency is, quite possibly, the greatest resource and opportunity your residents have to improve their health and wellness.

Access to sports is access to health, but access to parks — from economical to physical to cultural — is the critical first step.

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

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41

Diversifying Mainstream Environmental Groups Is Not Enough

By Robert D. Bullard and Robert GarcĂ­a

T

ransformational change is necessary to attain the world we seek and to modernize the environmental, climate and health movement. People of color and low-income people support environmental protection at a higher rate than non-Hispanic whites, but they are disproportionately harmed by environmental, climate and health impacts. Mainstream environmental nonprofits, foundations and government officials are not adequately engaging these communities and the groups that represent them. The most important thing grant makers can do is to provide unrestricted, long-term support to grassroots organizing groups that are pushing for racial and ethnic justice. The most important thing mainstream nonprofits can do is to comply with civil rights and environmental justice laws. We agree with Green 2.0, an initiative dedicated to increasing racial diversity across mainstream environmental NGOs, foundations and government agencies, on the need to diversify the boards and staffs of mainstream organizations. However, diversifying the mainstream groups is not enough.

According to Green 2.0, people of color make up 36 percent of the U.S. population, but they have not broken the 16 percent “green ceiling� in mainstream environmental organiza-

42 Parks & Recreation

tions. The numbers are much lower on boards and in leadership positions, despite decades of calls for diversity.

Strategic foundation support has enabled the success of the environ-

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mental justice movement. Yet, the movement is still underfunded after three decades of proven victories.

Constrained funding has made it difficult to build organizational infrastructure, community organizing, leadership development and effective participation in the policy and legal arena. Reliable, predictable and flexible multiyear core support for environmental justice, health and racial equity organizations is necessary for them to carry out their mission, respond to new challenges and opportunities, and serve the community.

There are structural obstacles to funding environmental justice and civil rights compliance. Studies show that the more committed

a foundation is to the environment, the less likely it is to fund social justice. Foundations should invest at least 25 percent of their funds with communities of color and low-income communities, building on the civil rights movement to advance social justice through advocacy and organizing for structural change.

Recent articles conclude that mainstream organizations exacerbate, rather than alleviate, disparities in green access and funding in Southern California. Public and nonprofit expenditures are most strongly associated with race and ethnicity after controlling for population size. This reproduces disparities in health and park access, and makes it harder for organizations that work with underserved communities to get the job done.

Some mainstream environmental nonprofits commonly receive federal funding. Those that do must comply with civil rights and environmental justice laws and principles that prohibit intentional discrimination and unjustified discriminatory impacts, regardless of intent.

Funding agencies should ensure compliance plans are developed, implemented and monitored to distribute equitably the benefits and burdens of environmental, climate and health policies and programs, and to guard against intentional discrimination and unjustified discriminatory impacts. Avenues for compliance include planning, data collection and analyses, review of funding applications, contractual assurances of compliance by recipients, self-evaluations and reviews, and termination or deferral of funding. Civil rights laws include Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, Affordable Care Act section 1557, the President’s Executive Order 12898 on environmental justice and health, and parallel state laws.

Environmental justice groups have been vital to the greening of Southern California during the past 15 years, for example. But, mainstream environmentalists receive vastly more funding, and many more are in a gold rush to open offices here to get funding from greening the Los Angeles River, the San Gabriel Mountains National Monument and other projects. The risk is they will snatch up money and staff, take the credit, and drive out grassroots groups that make change possible. This is like the South after desegregation beginning in the late 1960s. When people were free to shop at white-owned or black-owned businesses, they generally shopped at white-owned stores and drove black-owned establishments out of business because of years of “internalized oppression” and the idea that “the white man’s ice is colder.” We do not want to repeat this sorry

history with a diversity strategy focused solely on “integrating” people of color into white groups.

The civil rights revolution is based on multiple strategies to promote human dignity, equal access to public resources and just democracy, and to overcome discrimination. The civil rights revolution includes advocates in and out of court, decisions by courageous courts, grassroots organizing, legislation, action by the president, implementation by administrative agencies and people providing a mandate for civil rights through the right to vote.

We look forward to working with Green 2.0 to diversify mainstream organizations, diversify funding and ensure compliance with civil rights laws and principles. Working together, we can ensure that all shades of green are included in our environmental movement going forward.

Robert D. Bullard is the Dean of the Barbara Jordan-Mickey Leland School of Public Affairs at Texas Southern University in Houston (drrobertbullard@gmail.com). 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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Parks & Recreation

43

Power

Sharing the

M

uch has changed since 1985. Forget iPhones and GoPros — 30 years ago disposable cameras didn’t even exist. The rapid development of technology and the means by which we communicate has impacted every facet of our lives including public services.

While technology in many ways has made our lives easier, it has also cluttered them. At work, we’re expected to do more, do it faster and do it with fewer resources. Parks and recreation has certainly felt this shift in conjunction with a continued competition for limited public funds. But where there are challenges, there are also opportunities.

As part of celebrating the 30th anniversary of July as Park and Recreation Month, we saw an opportunity to share with the world the ways in which parks and recreation make everyone’s lives better. Much like park and recreation agencies balance being “fun makers” with vital service providers, NRPA aims to balance messages about the fun of Park and Recreation Month with the very real impact agencies make in the lives of those they serve.

This July’s 1980s-throwback theme lends itself to a lot of fun activities — 80s-style aerobics class44

Parks & Recreation

es, movie nights, pool parties and festivals. These are great ways to have fun and engage with community members who may or may not be familiar with parks and recreation services. Once the headbands and legwarmers come off and the screams and splashing subside, however, what is the lasting effect on those who participated? What was the power behind those park and recreation programs?

It’s likely not possible to see how many pounds were lost in the aerobics class or how many new personal connections were made at a festival — at least not without budget for formal surveys. What we do know, however, are national statistics that demonstrate the power parks and recreation has in every community.

To that end and to highlight park and recreation agencies as vital service providers, NRPA created a Power of Parks video illustrating some of the many ways park and recreation

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agencies contribute to powerful benefits such as healthier people, higher property values and environmental sustainability. This video can be found and shared at www.nrpa.org/ july-power-of-parks.

It is vital for the continued advancement of public parks and recreation that the powerful results of these “fun” programs are shared.

Behind that 80s-themed festival is the fact that programming in parks is proven to be an effective means of reducing crime rates. Behind that aerobics class is the fact that access to parks and recreation facilities aids in the control of obesity and helps diminish the risk of disease.

The more we can collectively and effectively share the story about the power behind the work we do, the more we raise our field as a whole and demonstrate parks and recreation’s value as an essential service.

In many ways, it is fitting that we celebrate the 30th anniversary of Park and Recreation Month with a video about the power of parks and recreation. The same technology that can clutter our day-to-day lives is now the most effective way

of Parks in July The ongoing evolution of parks and recreation’s mission through three decades and beyond

By Roxanne Sutton

of reaching community members, elected officials and important stakeholders. The way we consume information has changed a lot since 1985, so while we may be telling much of the same story, the means in which it needs to be told has evolved.

The number and types of services parks and recreation has provided throughout the past 30 years has certainly evolved and changed, but many things have stayed the same. We are still seeking to engage community members in the outdoors, help them get healthy, and provide places for them to connect and relax. Unlike 1985, however, we seek to connect with a population that has basically unlimited forms of entertainment in the palm of their hand.

While we are oftentimes aiming to remove the clutter of technology from our community’s lives, we shouldn’t necessarily look at technology as a competing force with our goals. Parks and recreation has the opportunity to use technology to both share our own “Power of Parks” story and engage our community members in the essential services we provide.

The next 30 years will certainly show an increase in the integration of technology with park and recreation services, but our mission to be, and be recognized as, essential service providers and the solution for some of the toughest health and wellness, conservation and social equity issues facing society today will endure. By sharing the power of parks and recreation now and

into the future, we can all help ensure that vision becomes a reality.

Share the Power of Parks video with your community members and stakeholders. The video and tips for sharing can be found at www.nrpa.org/julypower-of-parks.

Roxanne Sutton is NRPA’s Senior Marketing and Communications Specialist (rsutton@nrpa.org).

View and share our Power of Parks video at www.nrpa.org/power-of-parks.

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T H E P O W E R O F PA R K S

Spending Time Outdoors as a Rule, Not the Exception That’s the goal behind the program captured in this month’s cover photo “Girl with Tortoise.” The city of McAllen, Texas’ Quinta Mazatlan World Birding Center hosts a program for 2- to 5-year-olds called Forest Tots. The program runs for an hour on Saturdays for eight weeks from June-July and immerses young children and their parents in the beauty, sights, smells, textures and wonders of the natural world.

In this photo, Virginia Mann, photographer and coordinator at Quinta Mazatlan, captures Olivia Wollmann

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squatting down to take a closer look at TUMI (Spanish for “you and me”), a 10-year-old African land tortoise.

The theme for that week’s lesson was “forest animals” and allowed children to meet our outdoor neighbors in their natural environment.

Colleen Hook, manager at Quinta Mazatlan, submitted this photo to our Parks & Recreation magazine cover contest. It was chosen by popular vote and selected as this month’s cover image in honor of Park and Recreation Month.

The Runner-Ups More than 170 photos were submitted to our Parks & Recreation magazine cover contest, but only a dozen could make it to the public voting phase. After almost 7,300 votes, just one could make it on the cover, but there were too many good photos not to share a few more. In addi-

tion to our first-place cover winner “Girl with Tortoise,” and our second place winner, “Coralytes,” featured on page 2 of our table of contents, here are the next four photos that were in the running for the cover spot. You can check out all the finalists at http://ow.ly/OIkFj.

“Adventure Playground and Splash Pad,” submitted by Anthem Community Council, Arizona

“Hug the Earth Festival at Stillwater Prairie Reserve,” submitted by Miami County Park District, Ohio

“Slip and Slide at Playfields Sports Complex,” submitted

by City of Davis Parks and Community Services, California “Belly Flop,” submitted by Canton Leisure Services, Michigan

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Dissecting a Park: Joe Kneip Goes

Organizers and sponsors of the 2015 Parks Build Community project at Joe Kneip Park in North Las Vegas, Nevada, took pains to improve every aspect of the well-used community space.

New shade structures, playground surfacing, restrooms, fitness equipment and more will reinvigorate Joe Kneip and beckon the neighborhood outside for fitness and fun.

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By Jimmy O’Connor

A

s you may have heard, Joe Kneip Park in the city of North Las Vegas, Nevada, is undergoing a complete makeover in conjunction with NRPA’s 2015 Annual Conference. As of July 13, Joe Kneip is closed for construction — reopening on September 17, 2015, with the dedication of this vastly improved space.

Joe Kneip Park is getting more than a facelift. It is getting new guts — with the vision that these new organs will pump new life into the community.

So, what can a new slide and shelter do for a park? Just like a living organism, a park is the sum of its parts.

Whether an expansive wilderness park comprised of millions of natural elements contributing to its grandeur or an urban skate park with more concrete thrills than foliage — all parks

are a collection of unique aspects that can make them great.

Not all parks are created (or maintained) equally. Joe Kneip Park was once a great park, as evidenced by the thoughtful installation of a hand-crafted pergola defining the picnic area, the stately Ash trees and the inclusion of open space for activities less structured.

But, that was then. Today’s Joe Kneip Park has seen tough times

— the pergola is rotting away, the trees have overgrown their bounds and the grass field is parched. And, the playground, shade canopy and restroom have repeatedly been the target of vandals.

This is where NRPA’s Parks Build Community comes into play. Made possible through generous donations from companies that make parks better, we are giving Joe Kneip a mega-dose of TLC and replacing its worn out parts. After two months of surgery, the new Joe Kneip is going to look and feel great, ready for another few decades of hard work for a hardworking neighborhood. Here is how and why we are doing it:

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D I S S E C T I N G A PA R K

tunity parks provide for residents to get fit and improve health. Donating a fivepiece suite of outdoor fitness equipment, Greenfields is adding an entirely new element to Joe Kneip. This outdoor fitness zone is within walking distance to hundreds of teens, adults and seniors, providing a whole new way to experience and benefit from Joe Kneip Park.

Joe Kneip Park will soon see distressed restroom buildings like this replaced with improved facilities courtesy of Public Restroom Company’s generous donation to Parks Build Community.

With average daytime temperatures exceeding 100 degrees during the summer, shade is more than a nicety in North Las Vegas. Shaded areas realize cooling effects of 10-15 degrees in air temperature and as much as 50 degrees in surface temperature. Shaded areas are a respite during the sweltering summer heat and allow for outdoor activities yearround. Modern woven shade fabrics can block 95 percent of UV rays, so increasing the shade coefficient at Joe Kneip was a priority. Shade ‘N Net is making the outdoor fitness zone usable even on the hottest days thanks to the donation of a 30-foot by 30 foot shade canopy structure. And, Sun Ports is helping keep the kids cool with a new canopy over the playground. The increased shade at the park will create an environment more inviting and usable to park patrons young and old.

A park is not a park without play. Of course, play takes different shapes depending on the park and user, but a requisite of a good park is good play. This is never more 50 Parks & Recreation

relevant than at Joe Kneip Park. Surrounded by a community without nearby opportunities for outdoor play, the park draws families and children from blocks away. “Providing kids a really fun space to let loose, laugh and play together was a priority for us,” says Kevin Cook, director of sales for Playworld. “The new play amenities going into Joe Kneip will be a hit with the kids, I’m sure of that” he adds. Play was the impetus in selecting Joe Kneip Park for this year’s project. The playground was beyond its functional life and the opportunity to provide a fantastic new playspace, where one was so badly needed, set this park apart. The hub of this park, the new playground, will make Joe Kneip a family-focused fun zone for the neighborhood.

Parks are a natural avenue for healthy activity and the connection between recreation and wellness is well-known. Gone are the days of envisioning outdoor fitness as only chinup bars and inclined benches placed along a trail. Today, outdoor fitness can be more engaging and impactful than even the fanciest indoor gym. Headquartered in neighboring California, Greenfields Outdoor Fitness knows the oppor-

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Often unnoticed by the general public, the surfacing of a park is a critical component. A multitude of textures, from loose, natural fill to grass to precise impact-attenuation materials lay underfoot, yet kids and adults often traverse a park without giving much thought to what’s under their sneakers. Made much safer thanks to FlexGround’s poured-in-place surfacing, children hanging from and climbing on the new playground will have an extra measure of protection, so parents can worry less about letting their kids be kids. One of the safest surfacing materials available, thanks to being highly engineered and durable, this colorful new surfacing may arguably be the most important aspect of this and any playground build. At the other end of the spectrum, though still highly engineered, is the new soccer field, grown exceptionally lush and resilient thanks to Mirimichi Green’s donation of premium soil enhancer. The new soccer field will transform the open field into a gathering place for the community to cheer on neighbors and friends.

The opportunity to play in water, especially in a hot climate, is an undeniable attraction for all children. Welcoming the park’s first splash pad thanks to Whitewater West, the community around Joe Kneip Park will soon have fun in the sun and refuge from the heat. Incorpo-

rating multiple spray and splash elements, the new splash pad will be a destination in and of itself. The splash pad will utilize the municipal water supply, tapping into existing services that supply the restroom. Controlled using kid-activated timers, this liquid fun will be routed back through the return system to Lake Mead, completing a large recycling loop.

Instructional, informative and important, but usually relegated to simple sheet metal affixed to post, park signage often does not receive the attention it deserves. This won’t be the case in Joe Kneip for long. Developing a collection of custom high-pressure laminate signs for the park that are durable and attractive, iZone Imaging will provide a first point of contact in helping patrons navigate the park and experience the new amenities.

Addressing one of the community’s chief complaints about Joe Kneip, the park will be made much brighter with stateof-the-art LED lighting thanks to the generosity of Musco.

Targeting the basketball courts and also helping to illuminate surrounding areas of the park, the new poles and fixtures will allow residents to enjoy the park in the evening hours with its cooler temperatures. The increased nighttime visibility will also increase the community’s comfort level using the park after sunset.

custom restroom building from the Public Restroom Company, Joe Kneip’s facelift will include new plumbing as well. “We wanted to contribute to this important initiative and knew just how to do that,” says Chad Kaufman, vice president of sales and marketing for Public Restroom Company. “When our team visited Joe Kneip and saw the condition of the current restroom, we knew we could design a facility to provide better form and function for the community, while lessening the maintenance burden on the city,” he continues. Installing a new restroom in the park is a tremendous improvement to this public space and will be a welcome addition to the park’s exercisers, splashers and climbers.

Many people associate a park with enjoying a picnic.

And with new tables, trash cans and grills from BCI Burke, this park will have a fresh new place for neighbors and families to come together for food and fun.

The 2.2 acres comprising Joe

Kneip Park will soon be full of new parts. This transformation will be significant and it will take a close eye to find the old Joe Kneip after the surgery is done. But, the community gem built in 1965 will still be there — its bones are strong. The commitment made by the city of North Las Vegas and the investment of the many donors supporting this Parks Build Community project will surely return Joe Kneip to a vibrant life in a short few months. The new Joe Kneip will bring smiles to the many children and families who call this park theirs. It will be up to the community to treat this park with the respect they themselves expect — and it will be up to the city of North Las Vegas to rally and show the community how a clean and well-maintained park truly does build community.

Join fellow colleagues and the community on September 17 for the dedication of Joe Kneip Park and see for yourself the results of this year’s project. Busing will be provided from the NRPA Annual Conference.

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

Having the comforts of home in a park means more time can be spent there — relaxing, exercising and playing. Thanks to the donation of a

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Learn Inspired NRPA ANNUAL CONFERENCE

Come to & Leave

By Tom Crosley

H

ave you ever suffered from “FOMO,” aka, “fear of missing out?” The NRPA Annual Conference has always been a great place to learn, reconnect with old friends, meet new friends, and see the latest and greatest trends and technology that our industry has to offer, but this year’s FOMO factor is through the roof! We’re celebrating our 50th anniversary, and we’re proud to feature a full slate of Pre-Conference Workshops, Off-Site Institutes and education sessions that support each of our Three Pillars of Conservation, Health and Wellness, and Social Equity. Below, find a handful of educational highlights planned for the 2015 NRPA Annual Conference, held September 15-17 in Las Vegas, Nevada.

Pre-Conference Workshops It’s no secret that park and recreation budgets are shrinking, even as our economy improves. It’s also no secret that selling sponsorships is a wonderful way to increase revenue. Come to author and sponsorship expert Sylvia Allen’s “12 Steps to Sponsorship

52 Parks & Recreation

Success” workshop to learn the latest trends, from what assets are valuable to sponsors to what you should be charging. Allen’s workshop, plus others, will be featured on Monday, September 14. Please check the full conference schedule for details: www. nrpa.org/conference2015.

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Off-Site Institutes The city of Las Vegas has a lot to offer, and this year’s Las Vegas Local Host Committee has put together a stellar lineup of Off-Site Institutes to introduce you to the real Las Vegas. Visit with the star of the reality television show “Pawn Stars” and Clark County Museum Administrator Mark Hall Patton as he leads the “Mystery History Tour” around Las Vegas Valley, or pick up some tips for connecting your community to nature in the “Helping Communities Get Their Nature On” with Crystalaura Jackson and Alice Hulslander at the Clark County Wetlands Park. Want to try something new? Grab your bathing suit and head

credits required to renew your CPRP certification. Please check the schedule for a full session listing, plus the CEU amounts being offered: www. nrpa.org/conference2015.

to the “Las Vegas Aquatics — Play and Practice” tour of Pavilion and Garside pools, and then try your hand at log-rolling at the Municipal Pool! Yes! Log-rolling!

A total of 12 Off-Site Institutes will be held on Sunday, September 13, Monday September 14, and Thursday, September 17. Please check the full conference schedule for details: www. nrpa.org/conference2015.

Education Sessions The Conference Program Committee, a volunteer committee of your peers, has put together yet another wonderful lineup of education sessions spread across 11 disciplines or tracks, including Healthy Lifestyles, Leadership and Management, and Marketing and Public Relations. Hone your work skills, learn programming ideas, and share best practices from all around the country at one of 200-plus education sessions featured from Tuesday, September 15 through Thursday, September 17. And be inspired! Learn how to face difficult personal and professional challenges from Donna Kuethe in her “True G.R.I.T.T. (Growing Resiliency in Tough Times)” session on Wednesday, September 16. You’ll have the opportunity to earn more than half of the

Learning Lab Visit the Exhibit Hall for some valuable face time with some of our Conferences’ most interesting participants in this year’s incarnation of the Learning Labs.

Meet keynote speaker Gil Penalosa as well as the winners of our Park of the Future design contest and see their award-winning park.

Visit with ASTD-certified Trainer Jerry Balistreri as he discusses key takeaways from his education session “Reading the Tells — Learning How to Read Body Language” and much more! Learning Lab appearances will be held during Exhibit Hall hours Tuesday, September 15, and Wednesday, September 16. No CEUs offered.

Learning Playground Back by popular demand is our specially designed classroom on the Exhibit Hall floor, created to get you up and out of your seats. Six sessions total will be held in the Learning Playground from Tuesday through Wednesday, including 50 ideas for keeping our screen-addicted citizens engaged at the “Spatial GAMES at Warp Speed!” session Wednesday from 12:30 p.m. to 1:45 p.m., hosted by Paul Wright. 0.1 CEUs offered for each session.

Glass Room Sessions Also located within the hustle and bustle of the Exhibit Hall floor will be five sessions hosted by our industry’s thought leaders discussing some of the issues we can expect to see during the next 50 years. Beginning at 1 p.m.

Tuesday, September 15, and starting on the hour from 1 p.m. until 4 p.m., please come to these participatory ses-

sions, including topics ranging from “Drones in Parks” with NRPA’s own Vice President of Conservation and Parks Richard Dolesh, to “Creative Placemaking” with Nette Compton.

One additional Glass Room Session will be held Wednesday, September 16, at 1 p.m. when ESPN Emmy Award-winning journalist and Aspen Institute Sports and Society Executive Director Tom Farrey leads a discussion about the “Future of Play,” and details the Aspen Institute’s Project Play. See the full conference schedule for details. No CEUs offered.

Speed Sessions Your votes have been counted and the results are in. From 9:30 a.m. to 10:30 a.m. Thursday, September 17, the Conference is honored to host 36plus short, engaging, 20-minute talks on a wide range of subjects. For example, glean easily digestible insights about what it takes to be an effective leader in Dr. Stephen Wolter’s “Leading From Inside Out” speed session.

Looking for helpful hints on planning an event on a small budget? Teresa Brown Stubbs has you covered in her “Planning a Special Event on a Budget” speed session. No CEUs offered.

There’s one place in the Nevada desert where you can learn to meet the needs of your current job, or hone the skills needed for a new one. Learn the best practices of our industry at the 2015 NRPA Annual Conference from your peers, but also take care to actively participate in the education presented at the Conference. It’s this sharing that helps you retain the information needed to transform your agencies when you return home and impress your managers. Come to Las Vegas and help us celebrate NRPA’s 50th anniversary and avoid FOMO!

Tom Crosley is NRPA’s Education Manager, Conferences and Schools (tcrosley@nrpa. org).

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NRPA Update Parks Saving the Monarch

By Richard J. Dolesh

N

RPA members are stepping up to join the fight to save the threatened monarch butterfly. Many park and recreation agencies are starting to plant milkweed seeds and plants to create monarch waystations as well as tackle larger habitat restoration projects, planting hundreds of milkweed plants along with other nectar-bearing plants beneficial for a wide variety of pollinator species.

Milkweed Resources There are multiple sources of free milkweed seeds and plants from quantities as small as a few packets of seeds to a pallet of hundreds of milkweed plants. You can also collect your own milkweed seeds and grow plants from seed, especially if your agency has plant propagation capabilities. Don’t have your own greenhouses? Try partnering with a local nursery to grow seeds that your citizen volunteers collect. Be sure to request your milkweeds are not treated with neonicotinoid insecticides.

• For a single flat (32 plants), visit www.monarchwatch.org/bringback-the-monarchs/milkweed/ free-milkweeds.

• For larger quantities of seed, the U.S. Department of Agriculture has partnered with the National Park Service to provide seed packets for distribution to schools and parks. Contact Kassandra Hardy at kassandra_hardy@nps.gov for more information.

• For restoration project quantities of 200 to 1,400 plants, visit www. monarchwatch.org/bring-backthe-monarchs/milkweed/free-milkweeds-for-restoration-projects. The plants are free, but you must pay the shipping costs which are nominal.

• For info on all things monarchs for parks, download this free resources guide — put together by ace naturalist Denise Gibbs of Maryland and Monarch Joint Venture with NRPA — visit www.nrpa.org/About-NRPA/Impacting-Communities/Conservation.

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You have read in Parks & Recreation magazine and elsewhere that monarchs are in grave trouble. The Eastern population of monarchs once numbered almost a billion individuals as recently as the mid-1990s, but numbers have plummeted almost 95 percent and there are few signs of a rebound.

The causes of monarch decimation are many, but there is one bright hope to return the species to its former abundance. If you plant milkweed, you can begin to help save the monarch. Milkweed is essential to the monarch’s lifecycle. Migrating monarchs lay their eggs on the underside of milkweed leaves and the caterpillars that hatch eat the leaves, growing larger before their metamorphosis into adult monarchs, which then continue on their migration route. It is one of the most marvelous and mysterious migrations of nature, and we all have the opportunity to witness it in our parks and backyards.

So, what can you do? First, you need to plant milkweed seeds and plants in a suitable habitat. The good news is that milkweed will grow just about anywhere and it is a hardy plant that needs little care. You must plant milkweed seeds and plants that are appropriate for your region, however, from seeds that were collected from your region. Monarch Watch, the nonprofit education and conser-

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vation organization out of Kansas University that propagates and sells milkweed seeds, has a wealth of information on its website, including a bio-region map that shows where the regions are and what seed and plants are available for purchase. If you do nothing else, visit the Monarch Watch website at www.monarchwatch.org and see what information and resources are available.

NRPA is doing some exciting things for monarch conservation, and you will be hearing about them in this magazine, through social media, NRPA’s Open Space blog and on our website. We also want to hear what you are doing to save the monarch! Email Rich Dolesh, NRPA’s vice president of conservation and parks, at rdolesh@nrpa.org.

Richard J. Dolesh is NRPA’s Vice President of Conservation and Parks (rdolesh@nrpa.org).

The (Enhanced) Power of PRORAGIS 2.0

By David Kurtz

E

arlier this year, NRPA announced that the park and recreation field could expect some changes to PRORAGIS in the future. Well, we are happy to announce that the future is now. Using the feedback we received from PRORAGIS users, NRPA has spent the last several months assessing and redesigning the system, and we are now able to introduce PRORAGIS 2.0. But the big question is: What does this mean for your agency?

NRPA developed PRORAGIS to serve as the preeminent database for park and recreation agency operational information from which industry professionals would have access to tools to improve their organizations’ efficiency.

With PRORAGIS 2.0, our original intent to provide a comprehensive database has not changed, but our implementation of the evaluative tools has evolved based on agencies’ needs.

For agencies that currently have a PRORAGIS profile, one of the changes is a shift in the type of information that is collected through the database. Probably the most noticeable change to the original legacy version

is the use of a uniform survey, rather than two separate forms for small and large agencies. The transition to a single form for agencies of all sizes and types allows a more streamlined, user-friendly, data input experience.

Another important upgrade found in PRORAGIS 2.0 is the functionality of the reporting tools. From the feedback we received, it was clear you desired a resource that would increase your performance-management capabilities. In response, we redesigned the survey so that it has a more focused approach, specific to the functions (such as programs and facilities offered) of your agency. For example, agencies that

Table 1

Lower Quartile

Median

Upper Quartile

Average

Acres of Parks per 1,000 Residents

4.9

8.5

15.9

119.3

Number of residents per park

1,411

2,405

4,128

53,848

Number of acres per park

11.5

21.5

47.3

75.2

Park operating costs per park

$45,014

$63,831

$122,727

$148,574

Park operating costs per acre

$2,271

$3,226

$7,792

$5,009

Park operating costs per FTE

$63,218

$96,567

$123,392

$160,497

Acres per staff FTE

13.1

31.3

53.4

42.1

Park operating costs per visitor

$3

$4

$15

$21

Acres mowed per park

4.0

9.4

18.8

14.3

Percentage of acres mowed by staff

46.7%

98.0%

100.0%

83.2%

Percentage of acres mowed by contractors

3.3%

18.5%

70.2%

37.7%

are interested in evaluating the cost to manage park acreage can use PRORAGIS 2.0 to run custom effectiveness reports on the operational efficiency of such facilities (see Table 1).

The ultimate goal of PRORAGIS 2.0 is to equip you with resources to make it easier to manage your agency. By focusing questions on areas specific to your agency’s day-to-day operations, the reporting tools can be tailored to your needs. Whether your agency is looking for a resource that will allow you to monitor and track operational information, equip you with actionable data to justify your budget to decision-makers, or provide you with additional data for planning for new programs or facilities, PRORAGIS 2.0 can facilitate those needs.

For more details about all the exciting features of PRORAGIS 2.0, attend or plan to host a PRORAGIS 2.0 Magnet Session. Even if your location has hosted a Magnet Session in the past, with the sweeping, innovative additions to this database, now is a perfect time to consider hosting another session to learn about all the new features it provides. Contact Dave Kurtz for more information about hosting or attending an upcoming Magnet Session, or if you have questions about PRORAGIS 2.0.

We also encourage you to visit www.

NRPAPRORAGIS.com to check out the new tools available through PRORAGIS 2.0. Be on the lookout for more exciting news about upcoming changes to GIS 2.0, coming soon!

David Kurtz is NRPA’s Research Specialist (dkurtz@nrpa.org).

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SEPTEMBER 15-17 | LAS VEGAS, NEVADA 50TH ANNIVERSARY CELEBRATION Join us in celebrating our rich history and success, and the bright future of our field. The celebration will include live music, dancing, food and beverages.

2015 KEYNOTE SPEAKER Gil Penalosa is passionate about cities for all people. Gil advises decision-makers and communities on how to create vibrant cities and healthy communities for everyone regardless of social, economic or ethnic background.

EARLY BIRD REGISTRATI ENDS JULY ON 31 Sav e $150 on t Member Fu he ll Package!

EXHIBIT HALL RECEPTION Get face to face time with manufacturers and service providers during exhibit hall hours and at the Exhibit Hall Reception.

INTERACTIVE LEARNING OPPORTUNITIES This year you will have many opportunities to get out of your chair to experience hands-on learning and interact directly with speakers. Plan your schedule to include sessions at the Learning Playground and Learning Labs in the Exhibit Hall.

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L

LD MEDA L GO F

2015

ST ALI IN

2015 Gold Medal Finalists Announced

NATIO NA

NRPA Update

By Brenda Beales

T

he American Academy for Park and Recreation Administration (AAPRA), in partnership with NRPA, is pleased to announce the finalists for the 2015 National Gold Medal Awards for Excellence in Park and Recreation Management. This year’s proud sponsor of the Gold Medal Awards program is Musco Lighting, LLC. Since 1965 the Gold Medal Awards program has served as a testament to the hard work and dedication of agencies that strive to meet the needs of diverse communities. The Gold Medal is a comprehensive award that looks at the many challenges agencies face and how they are leveraging resources to meet those challenges.

Excitement is building as the 28 Gold Medal Finalists prepare for the Grand Award announcement during the September 15 Opening General Session at NRPA’s 2015 Annual Conference in Las Vegas, Nevada.

Please join us in congratulating the 2015 Gold Medal Finalists:

CLASS I

(population 400,001 and over) • Cleveland Metroparks, Ohio • Kansas City Parks and Recreation, Missouri • The Maryland-National Capital Park and Planning Commission, Maryland • City of Mesa Parks, Recreation and Commercial Facilities, Arizona

CLASS II

(population 150,001 – 400,000) • City of Peoria Community Services, Arizona • Des Moines Parks and Recreation, Iowa • Fox Valley Park District, Illinois • Plano Parks and Recreation, Texas

CLASS III

(population 75,001 – 150,000) • City of Allen Parks and Recreation, Texas • Lawrence Parks and Recreation, Kansas • Roswell Recreation, Parks, Historic and Cultural Affairs, Georgia • City of St. George Leisure Services, Utah

CLASS IV

(population 30,001 – 75,000) • City of Eau Claire Parks, Recreation and Forestry, Wisconsin 58 Parks & Recreation

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• City of Englewood Parks and Recreation, Colorado • Loveland Parks and Recreation, Colorado • Park District of Oak Park, Illinois

CLASS V

(population less than 30,000) • Itasca Park District, Illinois • Middleton Public Lands, Recreation and Forestry, Wisconsin • Oak Brook Park District, Illinois • Williston Parks and Recreation District, North Dakota

ARMED FORCES RECREATION

• Commander Fleet Activities Yokosuka, Japan • Marine Corps Community Services, Camp Pendleton, California • Naval Air Station Pensacola, Florida • Portsmouth Naval Shipyard, Kittery, Maine

STATE PARK SYSTEMS • Delaware State Parks • Georgia State Parks, Recreation and Historic Sites Division • Missouri State Parks • Wyoming State Parks, Historic Sites and Trails For more information on the Gold Medal Awards, visit www.nrpa.org/awards.

Brenda Beales is NRPA’s Awards and Accreditation Manager (bbeales@nrpa.org).

Protect Your Playgrounds. protect your agency.

Get Certified.

Certified Playground Safety Inspectors (CPSIs) help ensure children have safe places to play. Not only that, becoming a CPSI opens the door for career advancement and increased job mobility.

Reach your career goals.

Take the course online or in a classroom near you.

www.nrpa.org/CPSI

NRPA Update

Member Spotlight: Kendrick Mayes

K

endrick Mayes, the marketing and events coordinator for Garner, North Carolina, was born at Langley Air Force Base in Hampton, Virginia, and raised in Fayetteville, North Carolina. After majoring in therapeutic recreation at Catawba College, Mayes started as a part-time athletic specialist for Durham, North Carolina, and moved on to an internship for the Town of Garner’s Parks and Recreation department, where he would later be hired full-time to his current position. Today, Mayes is completing his master’s degree in recreation administration at North Carolina Central University in Durham. Over the course of his career as Garner’s marketing and events coordinator, Mayes has gained a reputation for coming up with unique and innovative ideas to connect parks and recreation with the community, perhaps as a result of his emphasis on interpersonal, faceto-face interaction. In addition, Mayes was responsible for last year’s Garner All-America City Shuffle, which was performed and filmed at NRPA headquarters (watch us do the shuffle at www.youtube.com/watch?v=CpyiMSmZDIw). We asked Mayes about his job and how he’s using innovative ideas to promote Garner and other agencies.

Parks & Recreation magazine: Tell us about your role as the marketing and events coordinator for Garner Parks and Recreation. What’s a typical day like for you?

Kendrick Mayes: As the marketing and events coordinator, I oversee the planning and managing of townwide special events. A typical day for me is I wake up, check Twitter and Facebook, have lunch, check Twitter and Facebook, and then go home. No, seriously, I usually check social media to see what has happened in the world that pertains to parks and recreation or what another agency is doing that can be shared on our page. From there, I respond to emails and make follow-up phone calls. As the marketing and events coordinator, I am networking and establishing relationships nonstop.

It is also my responsibility to make sure that people know about our upcoming events or the great parks

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that the town of Garner has to offer.

If I see a husband and wife walking their dog, I tell them about our new dog park. Basically, it’s one thing if people do not attend our events or visit our parks, but I never want to hear that they did not know about an event or park.

P&R: What advice might you give to other agencies looking to improve community/customer relations in order to spread information about programs and parks?

Mayes: The advice I would give is to attend Chamber of Commerce after-hour events, support grand openings and ribbon cuttings, attend department special events and also attend other non-parks and recreation sponsored events. I encourage agencies to do that because you are getting your face out there by showing that you support community events, and you’re also able to pro-

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mote your upcoming parks and recreation event. It’s also important for agencies to look for feedback on the types of events that are offered and see what is beneficial. Often times, when I meet new people and they ask what do I do, and I tell them I work for the Garner Parks and Recreation Department, they usually want to know what we have coming up so they can attend.

P&R: After the All-America City Shuffle of 2014, which borrowed from Maroon 5’s “Moves Like Jagger,” what song is on repeat for you this summer?

Mayes: There are so many songs to choose from this summer. Since NRPA is doing an 80s theme this year for Parks and Recreation Month, I have been channeling my inner “Uptown Funk” by Mark Ronson featuring Bruno Mars.

Who knows, you might see another dancing video from us.

— Marissa Bracamonte, Editorial Intern for Parks & Recreation magazine

Staff Spotlight: Roxanne Sutton

T

here are many words one could use to describe NRPA Senior Marketing and Communications Specialist Roxanne Sutton — baker extraordinaire, cheese-head, “proud 1980s baby,” meme dictionary, to name a handful. Here among her colleagues, Sutton is all these things and much more. She’s our social media guru and master of public relations, with brainstorming powers to rival any champion of free association.

When NRPA has something it needs to communicate to its more than 50,000 members, Sutton will surely have a hand in crafting that message and ensuring its clarity and impact. We Facebooked, direct messaged and emailed Sutton to get her thoughts about the importance of good communication and, of course, her favorite NRPA memories.

Parks & Recreation magazine: Talk a bit about your background and your professional journey to the world of associations, parks and recreation.

Roxanne Sutton: I spent the first seven years of my life in Wisconsin, but did my growing up in the river valley of Parkersburg, West Virginia…I started dancing at age two, which led me to pursue dance as a professional career at Wright State University in Ohio. After two years, I decided that communications and public relations would be more suited to my needs, so I moved to Virginia, married my high school sweetheart and graduated from George Mason University.

Once I changed career paths, I decided I wanted to work for a nonprofit.

I worked at a public relations firm straight out of college, which, depending on the client, sometimes satisfied my need to feel as though I was making a difference in others’ lives.

But when I saw an opening at NRPA, I jumped at the chance to work for a nonprofit association whose main mission is to improve the lives of all people through the power of parks and recreation — something I had experienced personally as a child at my own local park.

P&R: July is a really excellent time for public awareness for our field, as Park and Recreation Month is a wonderful way to promote all the healthy benefits our members work so hard to offer. How do you leverage this observance to its greatest effect?

Sutton: Internally, the marketing and communications team works hard to make sure we are promoting Park and Recreation Month using every resource we have. We use all of our own communications channels, but also rely heavily on partners, media, advocacy allies and, most importantly, our members to not only make sure everyone knows about and participates in Park and Recreation Month, but that the general public recognizes the important role parks and recreation plays in our daily lives.

P&R: What advice would you give to an agency wishing to better promote its offerings, not just during Park and Recreation Month, but all year long?

Sutton: Find out where your audiences are and reach them there. Perhaps you thought your senior citizens relied on the local newspaper for

information, when maybe they are getting more and more information from their grandkids on Facebook.

It’s not always easy, but the best way to get started is to just ask. Anecdotal evidence is better than none at all.

Once you find out where your various audiences are, target messages that speak directly to them. Experiment with different messaging and tactics to see what works.

P&R: What’s one of your best/favorite/most meaningful anecdotes from your time at NRPA? Sutton: There are too many to choose from! Meeting First Lady [Michelle Obama] and Amy Poehler at our Commit to Health launch. Taking a four-hour nature- and bird-watching tour on the Patuxent River. Rescuing a Guinea pig from the bushes at HQ. Creating this year’s Park and Rec Month promo video. There’s never a dull moment at NRPA! — Samantha Bartram, Executive Editor of Parks & Recreation magazine

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NRPA Update

Early Contract Terminations

H

ave you noticed an increase of assertive salespeople targeting customers of energy suppliers through mailings, phone calls and door-to-door soliciting? “Slamming” occurs when a misleading salesperson obtains a customer’s electricity account number, and then switches the account to a different provider without the customer’s knowledge or consent. This effectively terminates the customer’s existing contract. Awareness and education are the best defenses against the costs and hassles associated with slamming.

Best Practices To prevent early electricity provider contract termination from happening to your park or recreation center: • Make your employees aware that misleading calls and visits from nefarious actors are possible. Even employees who are not authorized to make contract decisions can be hounded into providing confidential information.

• Protect your energy bills and account numbers as you would any confidential business information.

Your electricity account number is often the only requirement for an unauthorized supplier switch.

• Beware of an energy salesperson who claims to represent the electric utility. Anyone who works for the electric utility already has digital access to your account information.

• Beware of promotional offers that require your signature or verbal commitment.

• Advise your employees to block salespeople from engaging with other employees.

• Ask callers if they are properly licensed with the state public utility commission.

• Request to be removed from call lists.

• Review your electricity bill each month for unauthorized charges or changes.

“A few weeks ago, I handed over my electricity bill to a man who claimed to represent my local utility company.

He offered to evaluate my electricity bill as a complimentary service. A few weeks later, my electricity supplier unexpectedly dropped my account.

Without my consent or knowledge, the man had obtained my account number from my bills and canceled my electricity supply contract. I was at risk of being charged termination fees for canceling my supply contract before its expiration date. I had no idea that the contract was canceled.

APPI Energy and my supplier worked together on my behalf to reenroll my electricity supply contract, saving me thousands of dollars in early termination penalties. I determined the name of the company that canceled my electric supply without my knowledge. I reported the company to the Better Business Bureau, and sequentially learned that the man who misrepresented himself was no longer with the energy company.”

Since 2011, NRPA has endorsed APPI Energy to provide data-driven procurement and consulting solutions to members. For more information visit www.nrpa.org/Membership/Endorsed-Business-Provider/ APPI-Energy or contact APPI Energy at 800.520.6685.

Customer Story: Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 62 Parks & Recreation

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— Hayley MacDonell, 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.

Responsibility for the development of a checklist for assuring uniformity and thoroughness of facility opening and closing procedures typically lies with the: A. Agency director B. Facility manager C. Park security officer D. Superintendent of parks 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.

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.

The Certified Playground Safety Inspector (CPSI) certification program provides the most comprehensive training on playground safety standards and the credentials to inspect playgrounds for safety compliance.

The Aquatic Facility Operator (AFO) certification is a state-of-the-art certification for pool operators and aquatic facility managers.

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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.

ONLINE LEARNING Is your CPRP certification up for renewal September 1?

You can earn those last minute CEUs through NRPAs online courses. NRPA Online Learning courses offer a wide variety of professional development opportunities to professionals working in the field of parks and recreation.

Courses are accessible, and in a self-paced format. Course topics include: aquatics, customer service, accessibility, inclusion and diversity, health and wellness, business management, leadership, certification prep courses, programming, camp administration, park operations, conservation and playground safety. Consider investing in your agency and take advantage of our bulk purchase discounts. For more information on e-learning bulk purchases email education@nrpa.org or call 800.626.6772. Visit the online learning catalog today at www.nrpa.org/professional-development/e-learning/online-learning-center.

www.nrpa.org/elearning

August 23-28, 2015

September 15-17, 2015 Las Vegas, Nevada

November 1-5, 2015

January 17-22, 2016

January 31-February 5, 2016

March 13-18, 2016

www.nrpa.org/education

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Operations Water, Water Everywhere Innovative aquatics programs help communities beat the heat

By Catrina Belt

A

cross the country, people are running to their nearest pools and waterfronts to cool off, get active and have fun. With the high demand for aquatics activities, park and recreation professionals are always searching for new ways to freshen up their programming.

Thanks to creative, modern options, some agencies have found ways to bring excitement back to their aquatics programs and attract new audiences to their facilities. These contemporary ideas represent the trends in recreation today and may be a great addition to your facility.

Log Rolling A surprising aquatics trend gaining momentum in aquatics programming is log rolling. The 20th century lumberjack tradition is being used as a fun fitness activity that can be enjoyed by adults and children alike. “Log rolling is reaching a whole new audience,” says Abby Hoeschler, president and CEO of Key Log Rolling. “It is a unique sport that doesn’t require use of the entire pool

and is great for all ages. People can learn how to do it pretty quickly, and the fun is easily accessible right from the start.”

Minnesota-based Key Log Rolling has made it very easy for recreation facilities to implement this new aquatics trend. The company successfully created a lightweight, portable, synthetic log that is much easier to use than a 500-pound cedar log.

“The hollow core makes it easy to

transport to the pool, where it’s filled with 50 gallons of water to mimic the weight of a log. Then the rolling begins,” says Britta Stratford, aquatics director of the Mt. Vernon RECenter in Fairfax County, Virginia.

The Mt. Vernon RECenter started log rolling classes in the spring of this year, but has been offering open rolling sessions since November 2014. “I went to the NRPA Congress in Charlotte in October [2014] and noticed the Key Log booth there. I was really interested in the opportunity of bringing something new to the RECenter and the Key Log seemed to be a perfect fit,” says Stratford. The center holds classes once a week each quarterly session and open rolling sessions each weekend. Since the program began, more than 50 people

You can stand, kneel or sit on a paddleboard, which makes it easier to ride than a surfboard.

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have tried out the log. “There is a lot of interest generated from the log when it gets put in the water. The people in the class love the fun challenge of it, and it is a workout,” says Stratford.

Key Log Rolling has worked directly with owners and facilities to start numerous model programs for YW/ YMCAs, parks and recreation centers, universities, colleges and schools across the country. “We started Key Log Rolling to grow and develop the sport and to share what we love about log rolling,” says Hoeschler. She recommends that facilities interested in log rolling should first get their staff familiarized and involved with the program. Once staffers are on board, community demos can be used to get the word out. The versatility of the programming ideas and usability both indoors and outdoors makes log rolling a great option for any facility.

Stand Up Paddleboarding Another trending aquatic sport with a rich history is stand up paddleboarding (SUP). The practice of standing and paddling on canoes or rafts has existed for thousands of years in river-based and coastal environments.

However, the modern history of SUP is based in the Hawaiian surf culture.

Since SUP was brought to the United States mainland by Vietnam veteran Rick Thomas, the sport has taken off in mainstream culture. Now it is a regular piece of aquatic programming at facilities with access to waterfronts.

San Francisco Recreation and Parks Department has been running its SUP program for four years. “The class is usually offered once or twice a month during off season (fall, spring and winter) and once a week for our surf and waterfront summer camps for kids. Sometimes, we also do special events,” says Rex Biteng, water

front/aquatics supervisor of leisure services for San Francisco Recreation and Parks Department in California.

“We have two instructors: one being the main instructor and the other a certified lifeguard who accompanies the group. Everyone must wear PFDs (personal flotation devices/life jackets) as well.” Since the program began, almost 5,000 people have participated in the sport.

“SUP is an easier sport to learn because it involves paddling like when canoeing or kayaking. The boards used are more stable than surfboards, so standing on an SUP board is a lot easier than riding a surfboard in waves. You also don’t have to stand on the paddleboard — you can just as well kneel or sit,” says Biteng. “These reasons make SUP’ing easier to a broader range of adults and kids. Not to mention, SUP’ing is a good workout and it gets people outside. It also gives you a different view of our bay and lakes,” says Biteng.

Dive-In Movies For community members who prefer to beat the heat by lounging around a pool, poolside dive-in movies are becoming a popular programming option. Many people are familiar with drive-in movies, which became popular in the late 1950s to mid-60s.

Today, the same concept exists but with a modern twist. Aquatic centers and pools are turning their facilities into movie theaters with the help of audiovisual projectors and inflatable movie screens. Community members are invited to bring their families and enjoy their favorite movies while floating around in the pool. It is an activity that provides fun for people of all ages and can easily be implemented at any aquatics facility.

For more than 25 years, the Hern-

Young and old can learn log rolling pretty quickly and it’s fun right from the start.

don Parks and Recreation Department in Virginia has offered dive-in movies at its facilities. “Dive-In movies were new and different when we originally started, and now, they are so popular we have continued to offer them,” says Abby Kimble, marketing specialist at Herndon Parks and Recreation Department. “We used to order 16-millimeter film — now we use a DVD player and we hired an audiovisual company to help with sound and video projection.”

Herndon offers dive-in movies, at most, twice a year; however, it gets upwards of 100 people in attendance for the showings. It alternates between newer movies and showing the classics — all of which are appropriate for viewers of all ages. The program has gotten exceptional feedback, with regular requests for more showings, and its success can be greatly attributed to the inclusiveness of the activity. According to Kimble, one of the top reasons Herndon chose dive-in movies as an option is because “this event allows all swimmers of all levels to have fun in the pool.”

Catrina Belt is an Editorial Intern for Parks & Recreation magazine (cbelt@nrpa.org).

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Products Bronze Sculptures E.S. Schubert Sculpture Studios has a passion for creating timeless bronze sculptures of your heroes. Their craftsmanship is topnotch and on par with the bronze monuments of the past. Clients are guided through the process of creating a bronze sculpture, from the initial concept and idea generation, through installation and the unveiling day. If you are looking for the highest quality bronze monuments, created with professionalism and meticulous attention to detail, look no further than E.S. Schubert Sculpture Studios. Let them help you create a bronze monument your community can be proud of.

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Mobile Cotton Candy Station Location is an important factor when it comes to cotton candy sales. With the new Cotton Candy Mobile Serving Station from Gold Medal Products, Co. you can go where the crowds are at stadiums, fairs, festivals and parks. The stainless steel movable cart is equipped with a rolling base, serving shelf, heavy-duty casters, transport handle and retractable 15-amp power cord. Models are available with front counter LED display, back counter LED display or no display light. Gold Medal Products, Co. delivers convenience and value, making it easier for vendors to better serve their customers and increase sales. GOLD MEDAL PRODUCTS, CO., 800.543.0862, WWW.GMPOPCORN.COM

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Rotary Broom SweepEx walk-behind rotary brooms increase the efficiency of cleaning in a variety of applications. The brooms have a practical design for working against walls or in open areas, and they offer ergonomic features for comfortable, easy-to-use operation.

Each model includes a Honda engine and centrally driven brush, allowing the unit to work against curbs or walls from either side of the machine. The brush has five angle settings to control the windrow of debris, and the broom hood is constructed of highly durable elastic material to help prevent damage. SweepEx brooms and brush kits are available with a variety of options to accommodate special

applications. SWEEPEX, 800.725.8377, WWW.SWEEPEXPRODUCTS.COM

Food Lockers R.J. Thomas Mfg. Co. Inc./Pilot Rock has designed three new Food Storage Lockers that can be installed near campsites for a safe place to keep a camper’s food supply. Got bears? The new BPFL Series Food Locker design has been tested and certified by the Interagency Grizzly Bear Committee in partnership with the Grizzly and Wolf Discover Center to keep bears out. Features include all-welded construction, a galvanized steel bottom and a textured powder coat finish available in four colors.

Pilot Rock’s lockers come in 15, 25 and 30 cubic-foot capacities and are stackable so you can provide twice as much storage space on the same footprint. PILOT ROCK, 712.225.5115, WWW.PILOTROCK.COM

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Phone

Email______________________________________________

Name________________________________________________________________ Phone__________________________ Address______________________________________________________________________________________________ City_________________________________________________State________________ZIP_________________________ What unique programming did you offer during this year’s Park and Recreation Month? ____________________________________________________________________________________________________

reader service

YES! I would like free product information!

Please email your answers to gcohen@nrpa.org.

Check the product(s)/company(ies) that you would like information from: AQUATICS Aquatic Recreation Company................ 43 877.632.0503 www.arc4waterplay.com Aquaclimb............................................... 17 800.956.6692 www.aquaclimb.com Aqua Master® Fountains and Aerators......29 800.693.3144 www.aquamasterfountains.com Pentair..................................................... C2 800.831.7133 www.pentaircommercial.com Vortex...................................................... 41 877.586.7839 www.vortex-intl.com Water Odyssey........................................ 33 512.392.1155 www.waterodyssey.com ATHLETIC/EXERCISE EQUIPMENT Greenfields Outdoor Fitness................... 3 888.315.9037 www.greenfieldsfitness.com Go Ape..................................................... 68 415.553.0769 www.goape.com COMMUNICATIONS Anchor Audio/markertek® Professional............................................ 69 800.522.2025 www.markertek.com Basinger Audio Systems........................ 67 877.931.1562 www.portablesound.com EDUCATION/TRAINIING Active Living Research Conference 2016.................................... 25 619.260.5534 www.alr-conference.com MAINTENANCE PRODUCTS/SERVICES Rent National.......................................... 70 800.352.5675 www.rentnational.com

Tree Stabilizer......................................... 70 800.691.1148 www.treestabilizer.com PARK PRODUCTS/SERVICES Ameristar Fence Products..................... 37 800.321.8724 www.ameristarfence.com Dogipot............................................. 31, 67 800.364.7681 www.dogipot.com FermobUSA............................................. 27 678.267.2025 www.fermobusa.com Gold Medal® Products Co. ..................... 68 800.543.0862 www.gmpopcorn.com/Spring Kay Park Recreation............................... 69 800.553.2476 www.kaypark.com Livin The Dog Life™................................ 69 800.931.1562 www.livinthedoglife.com Lockers.com............................................ 25 800.562.5377 www.lockers.com Most Dependable Fountains................. 15 800.552.6331 www.mostdependable.com Murdock Manufacturing......................... 7 800.453.7465 www.murdockmfg.com Pilot Rock................................................ 35 800.762.5002 www.pilotrock.com Trassig..................................................... 70 203.659.0456 www.trassig.com Victor Stanley™......................................... 9 800.368.2571 www.victorstanley.com Willoughby Industries........................... 19 800.428.4065 www.willoughby-ind.com PLAYGROUND EQUIPMENT Gametime®.............................................. C4 800.235.2440 www.gametime.com

Landscape Structures®.................... C3, 69 888.438.6574 www.playlsi.com SIGNS/SCOREBOARDS Berntsen International.......................... 67 877.686.8565 www.berntsen.com Safety Play Inc........................................ 34 888.878.0244 www.safetyplay.net Scoremaster............................................ 70 888.726.7627 www.scoremaster.com STRUCTURES/SHELTERS Easi-Set Buildings.................................. 68 866.252.8210 www.easisetbuildings.com Shade Systems, Inc................................... 1 800.609.6066 www.shadesystemsinc.com SURFACING RubberRecycle........................................ 21 888.436.6846 www.rubberecycle.com SofSURFACES.......................................... 13 800.263.2363 www.sofsurfaces.com GROUNDS MAINTENANCE Bishop Enterprises Inc........................... 67 615.233.5173 www.turf-aire.com John Deere................................................ 5 800.537.8233 www.johndeere.com/local Toro®........................................................ 11 800.803.8676 www.toro.com TURF PRODUCTS Superthrive®................................................. 19 800.441.8482 www.superthrive.com

Mail the completed form to Gina Mullins-Cohen at NRPA, 22377 Belmont Ridge Road, Ashburn, VA 20148-4501 or email to gcohen@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 ©2015 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.

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Parks & Recreation

71

Park Bench

Dreams Come True Four-year-old Parker Pustejovsky had a dream to rebuild a park to honor his father and other first responders whose lives were tragically taken in the West Fertilizer Explosion in West, Texas, on April 17, 2013. What started as a simple idea to sell hotdogs, quickly turned into a significant fundraising event that garnered a wealth of support from all across the country. Over the next two years, Parker’s Park Project raised more than $200,000 in addition to donated materials for the park rebuild.

Playground equipment companies Child’s Play Inc. and BCI Burke Premier Play Environments were chosen by Parker’s Park Project to do 100 percent of the design, including all of the custom items. They oversaw the entire project from budgeting and design to installation. “We agreed to donate 100 percent of any labor on the project and helped organize the community installation of the playground. We also reached out to my manufactures to request special pricing and contributions to the project,” says Jay Robertson of Child’s Play Inc. These manufacturers include Ground Smart Rubber Mulch, which brought in two truckloads (44 tons) of Blue Rubber Mulch and Vitriturf Rubber Surfacing, which contributed the rubber road for the playground surface.

With the help of more than 100 volunteers on the community build day, the first responders-themed park was successfully completed before the two-year anniversary of the explosion. On April 18, 2015, Parker’s Park was officially reopened to the public with a dedication ceremony by the City of West proclaiming April 18th as Parker Pustejovsky Day. “While the tragic events should never be forgotten, the future of West is bright,” says Robertson. “One day, the children of today will be telling their children how the town came together and rebuilt the playground, and they were there to help.”

— Catrina Belt, Editorial Intern for Parks & Recreation magazine

72 Parks & Recreation

| J U LY 2 0 1 5 | W W W. N R PA . O R G

Insta

Fun-Packed Play Plenty of activities means plenty of fun for developing toddlers and preschoolers! Smart Play: Cube 2-5 packs 14 activities into its modern design and compact size. From the activity table with bench and magnet stack to the arch climber and slide, Smart Play: Cube 2-5 delivers plenty of developmentally appropriate challenges along with an efficient use of materials. Learn more at playlsi.com, or call 888.438.6574 or 763.972.5200.

Š2014 Landscape Structures Inc.

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PARKS&RECREATION JULY 2015 ◆ THE POWER OF PARKS ◆ 2015 CONFERENCE EDUCATION ◆ PARKS BUILD COMMUNITY