2014-2015 Annual Report
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Table of Contents
Letter from the Director ……………………………….…... 2 Recreation and Community Programming …... 1 – 3 Facility Enhancements …………………………………….…..4 WNC Nature Center – Vision Plan of 2020 …………..6 Planning and Development …………….……………...7 - 8 Public Projects……………………………………………………..9 Staff ………………………………………………………….………10 Partnerships ………………………………………………11 – 12
70 Court Plaza, 4th Floor Asheville, NC 28801 Phone: (828) 259-5800 Fax: (828) 259-5606 www.ashevillenc.gov/parks
www.facebook.com/aprca
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Our Mission “Enhancing your quality of life by providing diverse cultural and recreation experiences.�
I have been involved in parks and recreation for many years now and the scope of the services we can provide is still exciting. We are fortunate to have a Parks and Recreation Department that supports a variety of ways for people to get out and actively engage in recreation activities and their community. In order to ensure that we are providing the highest quality programs and facilities, we need to constantly challenge ourselves and set new goals. One of our focus areas over the year has been on continuous improvement. We have invested time and resources into improving and enhancing our recreation center facilities, increasing program opportunities, and improving our internal structure to better serve the community. My hope is that you are noticing these improvements through positive experiences and interactions. As stewards of community assets, it is important that we maintain our inventory of facilities and parks with utmost care so that they can be enjoyed now and in the future. One way to ensure that we are meeting neighborhood and community needs has been through a focus on opportunities for increasing dialogue and engagement. The Aston Park focus groups regarding potential fee increases and the Montford Recreation Center and park master plan process have been instrumental in helping us create the community we choose to live in . There are still many challenges we face such as an increase for service demands and how to properly meet the diverse and unique needs of this dynamic community. I hope that you continue to stay informed of the many services, programs, and projects that we are working hard to provide. The whole community benefits when residents actively engage in and utilize all aspects of recreation. As I continue to challenge my staff to think about how our work impacts the greater community, I am confident that we will continue to be the first place to look for your recreation needs.
Roderick Simmons, Director
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Our goal is to provide Asheville’s citizens with a quality, safe recreation experience. Through our Facebook account citizens can be more connected to us; more aware of all we have to offer, and most important – an opportunity to create and engage in a dialogue with the department.
This year we identified several areas for new program opportunities to better meet the needs of the community. Many of the programs are free, and all of our programs are open to all ages and abilities!
Move @ Noon This year we offered a free lunchtime workout series designed to encourage people to take a break from work and get moving. The classes were held in Pack Square Park and open to all ages and abilities, and required no equipment. The weekly classes featured a different fitness program from circuit training, yoga,
Where Asheville goes…. to get in a lunchtime workout 4|Page
Recreation and Community Programming
Want to know what Asheville Parks and Recreation is doing? You can find all of our programs and recreation activities in the comprehensive program guide. It is published three times a year in fall/winter, winter/spring, and summer and is designed to inform the public of all of the great program opportunities that are available for all ages and abilities across the City. The guide includes contact information for all of our divisions and facilities.
Toddler Programs Where Asheville goes‌. EXPLORE
Musical Mondays This 8 week session was designed to engage toddlers in the wonderful world of music. Toddlers enjoy drumming, dancing, singing and moving to the beat.
Recreation and Community Programming
Sporties for Shorties An active sports program created for little ones and their parents. The activities are designed to help develop fine and gross motor skills and focused on running, jumping, climbing, throwing and more!
Tumbling Tuesdays A class for toddlers to stretch their muscles through jumping, forward rolls, skipping and more!
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Movies in the Park Who doesn’t like watching movies outside? Spring 2015 marked the beginning of our first full “Movies in the Park” season for a family friendly movie experience under the stars. Movies were shown once a month beginning May through September in Pack Square Park. All movies are family appropriate and rated PG. The upcoming season will feature both new films and beloved classics. The evening opens with free crafts beginning at 6:30pm and the movie begins at dusk.
Recreation and Community Programming
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Investing resources into facility enhancements is necessary to maintain community assets and to improve the customer experience. This year, we made several key improvements to ball fields, recreation centers, and safety upgrades.
French Broad River Park—Dog Park Renovation In 2014, the City received a $XX,XXX donation from Purina One for improvements to the French Broad River Dog Park and a new entrance design. The renovation improved accessibility to the large and small dog enclosures, increased the number of water and waste stations created a more pleasant experience for Asheville pet owners and their pets.
Fishing Pier at Azalea
Stephens-Lee Center 2015 Renovation Stephens-Lee Center was last renovated in the late 1990’s and this year underwent much needed major upgrades. A state of the art floor system with a sound barrier to reduce noise from the upstairs gym to the lower level of the center was installed along with new lighting, painting, and other structural improvements.
Shiloh Gym Floor and Lighting Renovation The Shiloh Center acquired a professional flooring system from the US Cellular Center, LED lighting system, scoreboards, and new wall padding. Last, renovated in the late 1990’s, the renovations in the Shiloh Center help support the community recreation needs and provide higher quality programming to the public. 7|Page
Facility Enhancements
Through a partnership with the NC Wildlife Resource Commission, Asheville Parks and Recreation acquired the resources to construct a floating fishing pier, and to stock the pond with channel catfish, in support of the State administered community fishing program. Prior to installation of the pier the community could only fish from the bank of the pond. The pond was acquired in the 1990’s along with Azalea Park.
The Western North Carolina Nature Center added several welcome additions this year. At the new Nature play site, adults and children alike can learn the joys of playing outside. Visitors can paint with water on the Slate Wall, get in touch with their musical side on wooden instruments, or build a fort using nothing more than tree branches.
Western North Carolina Nature Center These new play elements around the park were built thanks to funding awarded through the Disney Worldwide Conservation Fund as part of the “Nature Play Begins at Your Zoo & Aquarium� collaboration with the Association of Zoos and Aquariums (AZA). Through this award, we are pleased to announce that the WNC Nature Center is now an official AZA Nature Play Site. 8|Page
As always, we are thankful for our ongoing partners and our hardworking volunteers
2014-2015 Recreation Advisory Board Members Hutch Kerns, Chair Josh O’Conner, Vice-Chair Todd Dunnuck Barry Mundt Bob Pierce Kimberly Reed Forrest Merithew Ashley Arrington Patrick Dennehy Councilman Chris Pelly
Lake Eden Arts Festival Men’s Garden Club of Asheville Montford Neighborhood Association Pope Golf Recreation Advisory Board Shiloh Community Association United States Fish and Wildlife Vet Rec Program YMCA Nestle Purina Pet Care Company North Carolina Wildlife Resources Commission United States Tennis Association University of North Carolina Asheville Foundation Velosports Western Carolina University
We’re Staying Connected To better serve our customers, and to help them stay connected when visiting our centers, WI-FI is now available at these locations: Aston Park Burton Street Center Dr. Wesley Grant Sr., Southside Harvest House Montford Center Senior Opportunity Center Linwood Crump Shiloh Center Stephens-Lee Center
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Thank You!
Asheville Buncombe Youth Soccer Association Asheville Parks and Greenways Foundation Beloved Big Brothers and Sisters Bojangles Buncombe County Council on Aging Downtown Area Neighborhood Residents Friends of the Nature Center Asheville Housing Authority Resident Council Asheville Buncombe Institute of Parity Achievement (ABIPA) East of Riverway Initiative Friends of Hominy Creek Greenway Friends of the WNC Nature Center Grove Park Sunset Mountain Neighborhood Association Mission Hospital
Harvest House-Mosaics Class Harvest House is a home away from home for many seniors, with some attending up to 5 classes and events per week. At any given time, you can find a lively game of Rummikub, mosaic making, acrylic painting, or Senior Women’s Billiards, just to name a few. The Junior League of Asheville opened Harvest House in 1964 to be a center where people could come together to meet and
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