Message from the Administrator
This year, our Parks and Recreation staff members spent time brainstorming, researching, and adopting a new tagline for our department: “Explore, Play, Connect.” These three words represent foundational ways our parks, facilities, trails, and programs serve the community. Here are ways we work to make these opportunities a reality:
Explore. Parks and Recreation maintains more than 2,300 acres, with plenty of trails, greenspace, waterfalls, lakes, ledges, in which to explore: from ephemeral wildflowers to wood ducks, herons, and towering oaks and hickories, our greenspace offers opportunities to investigate connections to the natural world.
“Explore” is not limited to physical spaces, either – recreation and sports programs provide opportunities to learn new skills and meet new people, experience new music and different cultures, find new hobbies, investigate new interests, and taste an array of unique foods.
Play. Playgrounds are an obvious way that our parks support play – and we work hard to maintain 28 of them for the residents of Bloomington and beyond. Playgrounds offer important opportunities for children to challenge themselves, and this past June, we opened the new Bryan Park 5-12 yearold-playground, which was in part designed to offer new challenges to older children. We also enable play for all ages through softball, soccer, and volleyball fields, pitches, courts, and leagues at our indoor and outdoor facilities. Partnerships with baseball, hockey, disc golf, figure skating, pickleball, and soccer clubs and leagues exponentially expand our ability to present places and ways for our community to play. We also recognize that play is mental as well as physical, and offer programs to make friendship bracelets, trivia nights at Switchyard Park, adventure-packed summer camps at Kid City, and fun programs for dogs – and their people.
Connect. In his 2018 book “Palaces for the People1,” sociologist Eric Klinenberg highlights the importance of social infrastructure in our civic lives – parks, plazas, libraries, community centers, and other public gathering places: “When social infrastructure is robust, it fosters contact, mutual support and collaboration among friends and neighbors; when degraded, it inhibits social activity, leaving families and individuals to fend for themselves.”
We’re fortunate to have a robust system of public parks, trails, and facilities in our community that act as building blocks to public life. Keeping our facilities well-maintained, safe, and usable and offering unique and relevant programs
Administrator Tim Street welcomes community members to the ribbon cutting and grand opening for the Bryan Park Playground June 28, 2024.
(like our Walking with Ease or GOAL nutrition programs) are important to ensuring residents have opportunities for connection. In April, we’ll celebrate the grand opening of our newest park - Hopewell Commons - designed as an anchor and connection point for an emerging neighborhood. To help us continue to offer what the community needs, in 2025 we will create a new 5-year master plan (2026-2030) for the parks system. As part of that effort, we will conduct important community engagement events to help inform our priorities for development and investment. Engagement will include a community survey and needs assessment, focus groups, meetings with elected and appointed officials, and other opportunities. We hope you’ll engage with us as we continue to find ways to help our residents explore, play, and connect.
Tim Street Administrator
1The phrase “palaces for the people” comes from steel magnate Andrew Carnegie, who made a habit of philanthropic generosity towards social infrastructure projects–especially libraries –in the late 1800s. He provided funds to build 1,679 libraries, including Monroe County’s Carnegie Library, which opened in 1918 at the corner of 6th and Washington and today is home to the Monroe County History Center.
BMessage from the Mayor
Mayor Kerry Thomson officially opens the juvenile playground at Bryan Park June 28.
loomington has a way of surprising you—I know because it surprised me. Years ago, on a crosscountry bicycle trip, I pedaled into this city expecting just another stop. Instead, I found a vibrant, welcoming community, rich in natural beauty, that captured my heart. That’s when I knew—I wasn’t just passing through. I found my home.
Today, as mayor—and still an avid cyclist—I’m grateful to be part of a city that values its parks, trails, and green spaces as much as I do. Every time I ride through Bloomington, I see what makes this city come alive: play, movement, connection.
Parks are where kids take their first wobbly steps, where strangers become neighbors over a shared sunset, where a game of pickup basketball turns into lifelong friendships. Parks are where we pause, breathe, and belong. They aren’t just green spaces; they are the heart of our community.
Each year, our Parks and Recreation team works to make these spaces more accessible, more welcoming, and more full of life. This year, we’ve invited the community to help shape the future of the Gateway, Powerline Trail, and Bryan Park playground, ensuring that these places reflect the people who use them. We’ve prioritized accessibility, installing automatic doors at facilities and developing a
Partnerships
The Parks and Recreation Department entered into 29 partnership and cooperative service agreements to maximize available resources and avoid duplication of services. The Department is proud to partner and collaborate with these organizations in 2024:
• Alicia Graves
• Area 10 Agency on Aging Endwright East Active Living Community Center
• Bloomington Football Club
• Bloomington Junior League Baseball Association
master plan for Building Trades Park—because everyone deserves to enjoy our parks fully and freely.
We are planting trees that will outlast us, growing shade and beauty through the Bicentennial Trees and Trails bond and our partnership with Duke Energy. We are bringing more music, more laughter, and more shared experiences into our parks, expanding our concert series with Visit Bloomington to create even more moments that bring people together.
Bloomington’s parks invite us in, offering a quiet place to reflect or a lively space to gather. They energize us, turning trails into daily rituals of movement and play. And they inspire us, whether through art in the park, the melody of a summer concert, or the simple joy of watching a child discover the world or a new friend.
So grab your bike, lace up your shoes, toss a frisbee, or just stretch out on a sunny patch of grass. Our parks are more than places; they are invitations to slow down, to feel, and to belong.
In community and in nature,
Mayor Kerry Thomson
• Bloomington Pickleball Club
• Bloomington Soccer LLC
• CanopyBloomington
• Centerstone of Indiana
• Cicada Cinema
• Downtown Bloomington Inc.
• Get Out Bloomington
• Indiana University Campus
Recreational Sports
• Indiana University Outdoor Adventures
• IU Health
• Lake Monroe Sailing Association
• Mad 4 My Dog
• Monroe County-Identify and Reduce Invasive Species (MC-IRIS)
• Monroe County Civic Theater
• Monroe County Fair Association
• Monroe County History Center
• Monroe County Parks and Recreation
• Monroe County Public Library
• Monroe County Senior League Baseball
• Monroe County United Ministries
• Paso a Paso
• Project Wingspan
• Special Olympics Indiana-Monroe County
• Summer Star Foundation
• Youth Sports Outreach
City of Bloomington Parks and Recreation
Program Participation
Program Participation Percentage by Program Area
Condensed Financial Summary
Operations & Development
The Operations Division is responsible for maintenance, security, sanitation, capital improvements, planning, construction, and development of all City parks and natural areas, facilities, trails, and greenways. It is also responsible for beautification of parks and public areas, including landscaping, the administration and maintenance of Rose Hill and White Oak Cemeteries, and urban forestry. This Division is responsible for the establishment, management, and enhancement of City-owned natural resources properties including Griffy Lake Nature Preserve, Wapehani Mountain Bike Park and Leonard Springs Nature Park. Natural Resources staff offer outdoor recreational, educational, and volunteer opportunities.
• Demolished the juvenile playground (installed 1999) in Bryan Park. Community members submitted more than 400 survey responses detailing the types of playground equipment desired in the new playground. Ohio-based Snider Recreation, Inc. was selected to provide and install the new equipment, which includes two slides, an accessible carousel, and a warped wall. New poured-in-place rubber safety surfacing will improve accessibility and safety. The total cost of $359,770 for the playground equipment, rubber safety surfacing, and installation was paid by American Rescue Plan Act funds.
• Operations staff built a new group shelter in RCA Community Park to replace the large shelter demolished in 2023. Drainage work, site prep, and construction of the shelter was done by Parks and Recreation staff. Total cost for the new shelter was $123,156.
• Installed eight new memorial/honorary benches and created an online version of the memorial/honorary bench order form.
• Improved trail accessibility by re-paving a portion of the Polly Grimshaw Trail, the city’s oldest pedestrian trail, between the State Road 45/46 Bypass and Pete Ellis Drive.
• Adopted asset management software CityWorks in 2024. Staff collected GIS data for every park asset in preparation for the CityWorks launch. CityWorks allows for streamlined work order management to increase efficiency, and to provide accurate data to analyze types of repairs and resources spent repairing assets to make informed decisions about facility management and maintenance.
• Operations staff in the course of their daily work collected more than 5,000 used syringes that were discarded in city parks, and collaborated with local agencies that provide resources for basic needs to remove encampments on city-owned and managed property.
Cemeteries
• The Prospect Hill Neighborhood Association received a $12,590 grant to restore headstones in Rose Hill Cemetery.
• Planted more than 380 native trees and shrubs, and 4,000 native plants.
• Representatives from Baker Stone Work in July removed the cap from a corner limestone pillar at Rose Hill Cemetery to retrieve a time capsule that family lore indicated was installed in the pillar. Uncovered were small scraps of paper and heavily rusted fragments of a metal can. A new time capsule was placed inside the pillar before the cap was replaced.
An employee of Baker Stone Work removes a limestone cap to access the time capsule inside a pillar at Rose Hill Cemetery July 22.
Urban Forestry
• A total of 1,000 trees were planted on public property.
• Pruned a total of 800 publicly owned trees.
• Bloomington received Tree City USA designation from the Arbor Day Foundation for the 40th consecutive year.
• Distributed more than 1,100 tree seedlings to community members during spring community events.
• Planted trees at Crestmont Park in celebration of Arbor Day April 26.
• A June storm damaged more than 1,000 publicly owned trees, and resulted in the necessity of pruning and/or removing more than 200 trees.
Urban Greenspace
Urban Forestry staff prune trees in the right-of-way.
• Continued partnership with Centerstone for work program to employ two laborers three days per week, April through October, to conduct general landscaping duties at Switchyard Park.
• Contracted with Eco Logic to restore native plants at Miller-Showers Park following a City of Bloomington Utilities dredging project; to maintain pollinator habitat at Rogers Family Park; and to perform invasive management and ecological restoration at Switchyard Park, Miller-Showers Park, and Wapehani Mountain Bike Park.
• Contracted with Green Dragon Lawn Care for mowing and trimming services at 20 park locations.
• Partnered with Monroe County-Identify and Reduce Invasive Species (MC-IRIS) to host 56 “Weed Wrangles” invasive species removal volunteer programs at 21 different locations.
• Diverted 60 tons of green waste from landfills to a city-owned green yard waste composting site.
Natural Resources
• Installed, in collaboration with the Indiana Department of Natural Resources, 15 MossBack Fish Habitat structures in Griffy Lake. The project was funded by a grant from the Reservoir Fisheries Habitat Partnership/ Friends of Reservoirs Small Project.
• Worked with members of the Environmental Resources Advisory Council to identify topics and develop nine new interpretive signs for RCA Community Park.
• Received a $5,000 Lake and River Enhancement (LARE) grant from the Indiana Department of Natural Resources to control Eurasian watermilfoil in Griffy Lake; contracted with Aquatic Control to conduct surveys and implement treatment plans.
• Co-hosted Get Outdoors Day at Switchyard Park on June 8, and BugFest at Monroe County Parks and Recreation’s Karst Farm Park on Aug. 24.
• Nineteen deer were removed from Griffy Lake Nature Preserve by hunters who applied and were selected to participate in a controlled hunt over two weekends in November.
Natural Resources 2024 Program Activity
Adopt-A Programs
Adopt-A-Stream
Sports
The Sports Division is responsible for providing formal and informal sports programs and services for the adults and youth of our community. These activities are provided at department facilities such as Cascades Golf Course, Frank Southern Ice Arena, Twin Lakes Sports Park, Winslow Sports Complex, and a variety of other department-owned and operated facilities.
The Aquatics program plans, coordinates, and facilitates recreational swimming, formal lessons, private rentals, special group use, and advanced aquatic and personal safety training for the Bloomington community and its visitors.
Aquatics 2024 Program Activity
• The City of Bloomington Economic & Sustainable Development Department sponsored Stay Cool Bloomington Days at the pools, providing free admission to the pools when the National Weather Service HeatRisk category was rated a “2” or higher. From June 16-Aug. 1, Bloomington experienced a total of 18 days at HeatRisk Category 2 or higher. Total cost for Stay Cool Bloomington Days at City Pools in 2024 was $99,360.
Season Passes & Economy Punch Passes
Season Passes 313 20-Punch Economy Passes 336
Adult Sports 2024 Program Activity
• The Bloomington Parks Foundation sponsored Open Swim Day with free admission to both pools on the Fourth of July. Bryan Park Pool saw 612 visitors, while an additional 105 people visited Mills Pool.
• A record 554 pool fee waivers were awarded to qualifying individuals in 2024.
Adult Sports plans, coordinates, and facilitates adult sports for the Bloomington community at Twin Lakes Sports Park and local tennis and pickleball courts.
Youth Sports
Youth Sports 2024 Program Activity
Olcott Park Kickball
Olcott Park
(Olcott Park) 2,167 Rentals (Winslow Sports Complex) 2,237
Youth Softball/Baseball Tournament (Twin Lakes Sports Park) 57,020
Youth Softball/Baseball Tournament (Winslow Sports Complex) 63,290
Total 2024 Participations 187,673
Frank
Southern Ice Arena
Frank Southern Ice Arena 2024 Program Activity
Youth Sports plans, coordinates, and facilitates operations for Winslow Sports Complex, Frank Southern Ice Arena, and Rev. Butler and Bryan Park ball diamonds. These facilities host Bloomington Junior League Baseball, Monroe County Senior League Baseball, and MCCSC baseball and softball events. Frank
• Participations in Frank Southern Ice Arena’s Skating School increased by nearly 39%, from 4,310 in 2023 to 5,981 in 2024.
Twin Lakes Recreation Center
• Contracted with BSN Sports of Dallas, Texas to remove the synthetic turf field originally installed in 2009 and replace it with new turf for $222,762. Turf installation was completed in January 2024.
• Member participations dropped by 21% from 92,520 in 2023 to 72,943 in 2024
• The Twin Lakes Recreation Center earned $188,908 for facility rentals in 2024.
The Twin Lakes Recreation Center, a 100,000 ft2 indoor sports, recreation, and fitness facility, was purchased by the department in 2009. Amenities include five basketball courts, a turf field, a fitness area with strength equipment and free weights, a cardio studio, a mirrored exercise studio, 1/5-mile indoor track, and meeting rooms. The department offers programs, through the TLRC and other facilities, that help make Bloomington a healthy, active community.
New synthetic turf was installed at the Twin Lakes Recreation Center in January.
Cascades Golf Course has the objective of maximizing public play with a balance of leagues, tournaments, youth programs, and golf outings. Youth programs include the First Tee of Bloomington and the PGA Junior League.
Golf Services 2024 Program Activity
• Cascades Golf Course in 2024 recorded 37,928 18-hole rounds, a 5.4% increase over 2023.
• Cascades Golf Course clubhouse was rented 69 times in 2024.
• Hosted the Bloomington Parks Foundation annual Don Brineman Memorial Golf Scramble Aug. 28.
• Hosted the annual City Tournament in June and July, with 124 golfers playing in match play.
Solar panels installed on the Cascades Golf Course pro shop and clubhouse in 2024 generate clean energy and help the Parks and Recreation Department meet its sustainability goals.
First Tee of Bloomington summer golf day camp teaches a lifelong love of golfing to children.
R ecreation
The Recreation Services Division is responsible for programs, events, and services specially designed for preschoolers, youth, teens, adults, senior adults, and participants with varying degrees of ability. These activities are held at department facilities such as the Allison-Jukebox Community Center, Banneker Community Center, Switchyard Park, and Showers Common. A number of programs are facilitated through partnership agreements with other community organizations.
Youth Programs
Allison-Jukebox
Community Center
• During 2024, the Allison-Jukebox Community Center hosted Parks and Recreation programs including Kid City summer camps and Break Days, plus CPR, community gardening, and natural resources programming.
Youth Programs is responsible for programs and services designed for youth. These activities take place at the Allison-Jukebox Community Center and satellite sites. Youth Programs also includes the Inclusive Recreation program area. The Bloomington Parks and Recreation Department is committed to an inclusive approach to recreation.
• The American Camp Association held its Local Council of Leaders retreat at the Allison-Jukebox.
Youth Programs
• Kid City Summer Camp, for the first time since the COVID-19 pandemic, resumed the pre-camp season Open House for families.
• Kid City Original and Kid City Quest served 101 and 42 unique campers, respectively, for 10 weeks of summer camp. Field trips included visits to city park playgrounds and Bryan Park Pool, and to WFHB and the Game Preserve game and puzzle store.
• Fourteen campers participated in the Kid City Counselor in Training program over six weeks.
• All Kid City camps supported the new Kid City garden in the Waldron, Hill and Buskirk Park by planting and eating vegetables and herbs.
Inclusive Recreation
• An accessible minibus was added to the vehicle fleet. The bus is equipped to transport up to two people who use wheelchairs plus an additional 12 passengers, allowing campers who use wheelchairs to travel with their fellow campers on field trips.
• Kid City summer camp served 12 campers with disabilities.
• An accessible golf cart equipped to transport people who use wheelchairs debuted at Switchyard Park. The golf cart was used to transport people around Switchyard Park to special events within the park, including 21 concertgoers with mobility challenges to the Main Stage lawn to hear the Bloomington Symphony Orchestra.
Youth Programs/Inclusion 2024 Program Activity
C ommunity Events
The Community Events program area provides an eclectic mix of cultural and outdoor activities and year-round events to provide enjoyment, education, and a sense of community for the diversity of people who make Bloomington their home. Special events and programs, art fairs, Performing Arts Series, Movies in the Park, Farmers’ Market, Community Gardens, Touch a Truck, and the Holiday Market are examples of the variety of programs and projects Community Events offers to the Bloomington community.
• Bloomington was in the path of totality during the solar eclipse April 8. Community events led the Parks and Recreation Department in a four-day series of eclipse-themed events.
“Total Eclipse of the Brain” eclipse-themed trivia April 5 with nine participating teams.
“A Solar Celebration” April 6 with a screening of the movie “Hidden Figures” for a total of 700 people in Switchyard Park.
“There Goes the Sun” April 7 with a concert by the Bloomington Symphony Orchestra with 1,146 attendees.
“Celestial Spectacle” before, during, and after the solar eclipse April 8 at Switchyard Park included food trucks and a beer garden, eclipse-themed games and crafts, the sale of eclipse viewing glasses, and live music by Moon Buggy and Comfortably Phree. More than 8,000 people were in Switchyard Park for the solar eclipse.
• Bloomington Trivia Championship Series averaged 19 competing teams per night, a 19% increase over 2023. A total of 26 individual teams competed over the five nights of the series.
• Added a “VIP Hour” to each of two evenings of the Drool in the Pool dog swimming event at Mills Pool. Participants paid $30 each for early entry to the pool, a swag bag, and for photographs (some underwater) made available digitally following the event. Twenty of 20 VIP slots were filled one evening, 19 of 20 slots filled the second evening.
• Monthly drop-in series “Community Zoo by You” recorded 150 children attending to earn an honorary zookeeper badge.
• Winter Palooza indoor festival kicked off the 2024 program season with 253 attendees
• The Bloomington Community Farmers’ Market saw a 34% increase in attendance at the Saturday Farmers’ Market over 2023.
• The Bloomington Community Farmers’ Market celebrated its 50th season in 2024.
• Zec Eight Insights conducted a comprehensive evaluation study of the Bloomington Community Farmers’ Market. This evaluation consisted of a review of existing Market data, benchmarking, external stakeholder engagement, and overarching recommendations. A final report was presented in October 2024.
• Continued a partnership with the Monroe County History Center to host the Dearly Departed Cemetery Tours at Rose Hill Cemetery in October. The three tours sold out with 199 total participants.
• The Community Gardening program offered 13 different classes and events.
• A total of 264 garden plots were rented in three different community gardens.
• Completed two capital improvement projects at the Reverend Butler Gardens that included a new exterior fence and stairs.
Community Events provide enjoyment, education, and a sense of community for the diversity of people who make Bloomington their home.
Farmers’ Market
The Banneker Community Center is a Bloomington Parks and Recreation facility that is dedicated to inspiring youth to maximize their potential through safe and effective programming, and to providing programs and activities that connect the Bloomington community through a cultural and nutritional hub.
B
anneker Community Center
• Banneker Community Center generated approximately $44,000 in revenue in 2024, an increase of 54% over 2023 revenues.
• Hosted 37 days of Banneker Camp summer day camp programming for 70 children in 2024, up from 60 children served in 2023.
• The commercial kitchen at Banneker hosted 39 different events in 2024, from Parks and Recreation classes to private rental events.
• Banneker hosted a total of 305 rental events in 2024, a 33% increase from 2023. Events included state meetings of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) and Indiana State Teachers Association, Midwest Cubing Association Bloomington Open, the inaugural Martin Luther King, Jr. Day Pancake Breakfast, the Monroe County Women’s Commission Health Fair, and the second annual Midwest Sumo Open.
• Through collaboration with Alpha Kappa Alpha, Banneker facilitated the distribution of more than 700 bags of food for families in the community, including Thanksgiving dinners.
• Banneker received a $22,500 Historic Preservation Fund grant from the Indiana Department of Natural Resources Division of Historic Preservation and Archaeology to rehabilitate the upper limestone stairs at Banneker’s main entrance. Work on the stairs is scheduled for completion in 2025.
• Community gardening staff converted the existing Banneker garden space to four raised beds, which were used by Banneker Camp participants to grow herbs and food to take home.
• The City of Bloomington’s Commission on the Status of Women presented the 2024 Toby Strout Lifetime Contribution Award to Renee Bridgwaters (Hill) Carter, who demonstrates a life-long commitment to the youth of her community through many years of service to the Banneker Community Center.
Pint-Size Picassos, one of Banneker’s Little Tykes Preschool Activities, allows children to explore a world of colors and shapes through various art mediums and create works of art.
B uskirk-Chumley Theater
Top Renters in 2024 (by days of use)
Constellation
IU
IU
Bloomington
Bloomington
IU
Lotus
Limestone
Health and Wellness
The Health and Wellness program area provides opportunities through programs, events and partnerships to encourage physical activity, to communicate the benefits of healthy choices and to promote department resources that support healthy lifestyles.
• Received a grant for $3,000 from the National Recreation and Park Association to hold the Arthritis Foundation Walking with Ease program through October 2025. Eighty-nine people participated in walking sessions at RCA Community Park, Rogers Family Park, Switchyard Park, and the Endwright East Active Living Community Center inside College Mall.
• Launched the “Let’s Move!” program for 51 youth enrolled in Banneker Afterschool at Fairview Elementary with a $13,000 Youth Adolescent Physical Activity (YAPA) grant from the Indiana Department of Health, Division of Nutrition and Physical Activity. Each participant received a pair of tennis shoes, a T-shirt, and a water bottle to support their ongoing efforts to be physically active.
Health and Wellness
report figures provided by BCT Management, Inc.
A total of 47 runners, joggers, and walkers participated in the Heroes 5K and 1-Mile Walk at Switchyard Park on Sept. 21.
S witchyard Park
Switchyard Park, a 65-acre former railroad switchyard on the city’s south side, was imagined over decades and developed over years as a destination park. Officially opened in 2019, the park includes amenities that appeal to a variety of active and passive park users, and features landscaping and facilities that focus on green initiatives.
• Switchyard Park generated $82,000 in rental revenue, an increase of 13% from 2023.
• Granted 29 Park Special Use Permits for use of park facilities, eight more than in 2023.
• A total of 190 outdoor events were held at Switchyard Park, with an additional 205 events held inside the Pavilion.
• A drop-down screen and hanging projector were added to the Pavilion, and an ice-making machine added to the Pavilion kitchen, to better serve user groups. A user-controlled, energy-efficient LED light system was added to the basketball court to allow more playing time during the park’s open hours.
• Two free electric vehicle (EV) charging stations that serve four parking spaces in the Rogers Street parking lot were replaced with metered EV charging stations.
Switchyard Park 2024 Program Activity
Location intelligence and foot traffic data collected through Placer.ai.
The total solar eclipse on April 8 drew the largest recorded crowd ever to Switchyard Park with more than 8,000 people in the park to view the phenomenon.
A dministration
The Administration Division implements policy as set forth by the Board of Park Commissioners.
• Packets were prepared for 14 Board of Park Commissioners meetings. The packets included a total of 131 contracts, 32 partnerships and 19 policies that were presented for review and approval.
• The application for pool fee waivers was made available in CiviForm, an open source software developed by the City of Seattle with support from the Google. org Fellowship program to simplify access to public assistance programs. CiviForm has made the pool fee waiver application process more accessible and equitable for area families.
Community Relations
• Hired Parks and Recreation’s first Digital Content Coordinator, Caleb Poer, in January.
• Designed and completed a total of 680 print and digital marketing pieces
• Obtained $99,160 in monetary sponsorships and banner advertising from 72 different businesses and individuals for Parks and Recreation facilities, programs and events.
• Managed 946 individual volunteers who contributed a total of 8,586 hours of service to the Department.
• Collaborated with local residents Elizabeth Mitchell and Erin Carter to produce an interpretive sign honoring Black conductors on the Underground Railroad. The sign was placed near the North Star art installation at Switchyard Park, and was formally unveiled during a Juneteenth celebration June 15.
Bravo Award
Presented to outstanding volunteers
Dave & Sherrie Everton, playing Santa and Mrs. Claus at multiple community events
Alice Leake, care for trails at Griffy Lake
Amy & John Stupka, care of sycamore tree
Rob Cronk, community events volunteer
Coltin Teeters and Neil Jacobson, steps built at Crestmont Park
Sharon Roualet, Adopt-a-Greenspace
Ted Kunkel, Leonard Springs Nature Days
Marcia Davis and Ryland King, Dearly Departed Cemetery Tours
Administration 2024 Program Activity
Community Relations coordinates graphic design, media relations, brand management, social media content, marketing, sponsors, and volunteers.
Troop 121 Eagle Scout Coltin Teeters and the steps he helped build as part of his Eagle Scout Project at Crestmont Park.
Volunteers contribute to the success of events and programs such as the annual Apple Tasting at the Farmers’ Market.
Community & Family Resources Department
Director Shatoyia Moss unveiled “The Underground Railroad” sign at the Juneteenth celebration at Switchyard Park June 15.
B loomington Parks Foundation
The Bloomington Parks Foundation enhances and expands the services of the award-winning Bloomington Parks and Recreation Department through gifts of land and funds, and improves the lives of children by providing scholarship assistance to youth to participate in parks and recreation programs.
Continuing Double Market Bucks Funding at the Farmers’ Market
The Double Market Bucks program, a result of the Foundation’s pursuit of grant funding, continues at the Bloomington Community Farmers’ Market Grant funds support this innovative project designed to improve access to the nutrient-dense, fresh, local food available at the Market When customers with Supplemental Nutrition Access Program (SNAP) benefits purchase Market Bucks, they receive a matching dollar amount (up to $27 per visit) in additional Market buckets to use at the Farmers’ Market Market Bucks are paper vouchers that may be used like cash to purchase SNAP-eligible food and food-bearing seeds and plants from participating Market vendors Because the Market Bucks are spent exclusively at Market, it ensures the economic benefits stay in the community and the funds help support small farmers and local businesses
Park Bench to Honor Paula McDevitt
Members of the Bloomington Parks Foundation gathered with former Parks and Recreation Administrator Paula McDevitt and her friends and family to celebrate Paula’s 35-year career with the Parks and Recreation Department, including seven years as the Department Administrator Paula retired in October 2023 The Parks Foundation honored her legacy with the installation of an honorary bench along the Jackson Creek Trail on Bloomington’s south side
Scholarships for Youth
32nd Annual Don Brineman Memorial Golf Scramble
Another successful Don Brineman Memorial Golf Scramble took place Aug 28, 2024 at Cascades Golf Course which raised funds to support youth scholarships for Bloomington Parks and Recreation programs Teders & Quackenbush was the Presenting Sponsor; Nature’s Way was the Cart Sponsor; and IU Credit Union was the Driving Range Sponsor The 2024 event featured a hole-in-one contest, as well as participation from Indiana University varsity men’s golf team members Robbie Bender and Cole Starnes
Approximately $21,300 was provided in scholarships to support youth involvement in Bloomington Parks and Recreation programs Sixty-four families with a total of 104 children were served in 2024, including the named Donald Shiflet scholarship to Fairview Elementary students Gia Bridgwaters (Spring 2024) and Takoda Smith (Fall 2024)
Sponsored Open Swim Day July 4, Supported Pool Fee Waivers
The Bloomington Parks Foundation participated again as a sponsor of a “free day” for pool patrons at the city’s pools on July 4 The Foundation funded a total of $1,950 at Bryan Park and Mills Pools, and provided an additional $10,000 to help cover the cost of 554 pool fee waivers awarded in 2024
Park Projects and Highlights
Bicentennial Gateway Installed in MillerShowers Park
The Bicentennial Gateway was completed in November 2024. The gateway is a wall approximately 52’ long and 10’ high, composed of stacked limestone blocks. Letters spelling “BLOOMINGTON” are mounted to the limestone. The letters are backlit at night.
More than 20 native trees were planted in the median surrounding the gateway.
Numerous businesses and city boards and commissions were involved in the planning and public feedback phases of the gateway project, as well as with site preparation, fabrication, and installation.
The Bloomington Arts Commission (BAC) plans to solicit design proposals in 2025 for an additional public art piece at the gateway. The BAC will receive $125,000 from the Bicentennial Bond fund to select and install a piece of public art in this location.
Building Trades Park Master Plan Complete
A Master Plan to guide the future development of Building Trades Park, a former stone quarry that became a city park in 1949, was presented to the Board of Park Commissioners at their regular meeting May 21.
Mader Design began work on the master plan in 2023, and conducted two different public input meetings and collected feedback from more than 200 individuals online to develop the master plan.
American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) funds have been allocated to address accessibility issues in Building Trades Park.
Parks and Recreation, Long-Time Employee Honored with Prestigious Awards
The Indiana Park and Recreation Association (IPRA) at their annual conference Nov. 7 presented Parks and Recreation with the “Outstanding Agency” Award of Excellence. Becky Higgins, Recreation Services Director, received the “Distinguished Life Member” Award of Excellence.
City
Prepares Hopewell Commons for Community
Enjoyment
Portions of the city’s newest park, located in the planned Hopewell Development neighborhood, were opened for use in December, although work on park features continued throughout the winter.
Hopewell Commons is a one-acre urban park space centered on the intersection of the new Madison and West University Streets, and includes ping pong tables, picnic tables, and porch-style swings along with artificial turf, a performance stage, and “log scramble” play structure.
New StoryWalk® at RCA Community Park
Parks and Recreation
partnered with the Monroe County Public Library for a StoryWalk® at RCA Community Park. The StoryWalk® is an outdoor educational activity that placed the pages from the children’s story “At the End of the Day” by Lisl H. Detlefsen on sign panels along the paved trail east of the playground. The StoryWalk was unveiled in a ceremony Nov. 15.
STim Street .. ..
Dozens of Parks and Recreation staff worked to make the total solar eclipse an event to remember!
The Department has a professional and connected staff of long-standing members of our community dedicated to providing quality parks, recreation and sports services.
AdministrAtion
Administrator
Emily Buuck Community Relations Coordinator
Ace Chestnut Graphic Designer
Kim Clapp Office Manager
Missy Grabowski Customer Service Representative
Tiffany Hall ..
Customer Service Representative
Zane Phelps Customer Service Representative
Caleb Poer Digital Content Coordinator
Julie Ramey Community Relations Manager
Michele Wilson Customer Service Representative
operAtions & nAturAl resources
Tim Street Operations & Development Division Director
Rebecca Swift Operations & Development Division Director
John Barnes Master Motor Equipment Operator
Jon Behrman Natural Resources Working Foreperson
Caleb Cassidy ..................... Sanitation/Grounds Laborer II
Steve Cotter Natural Resources Manager
Allen Edwards Urban Greenspace/Veg Mgmt Laborer II
Landon Ellis Urban Forestry Laborer
Don Foddrill Facilities Working Foreperson
Curtis Gilstrap..Cemeteries/Landscaping Working Foreperson
Bob Grubb Urban Forestry Laborer II
Jeff Hazel Laborer II
Mike Hollingsworth Facilities Maintenance Mechanic
Kyle Hudson Sanitation & Grounds Working Foreperson
Amy Leyenbeck Operations Division Coordinator
Tina Luallen Urban Greenspace Landscaping Laborer II
Mark Marotz .......................... Operations Superintendent
Jeremy McIntire Equipment Maintenance Mechanic
Phil Paris Crew Leader
Ryan Rhodes Sanitation/Grounds Laborer II
Anthony Robertson Equipment Maintenance Mechanic
Jim Salisbury.
Laborer II
operAtions & nAturAl resources cont’d
Haskell Smith Urban Forester
Joanna Sparks Urban Greenspace Manager
Scot Sturrock Urban Greenspace Working Foreperson
Rebecca Swift .....................Natural Resources Coordinator
Rob Turpin Operations Crew Leader
recreAtion
Becky Higgins Recreation Services Director
Clarence Boone.. . ..
Community Events Coordinator
Leslie Brinson Recreation Programs General Manager
Tara Brooke Community Events Specialist
Shelby Drake Health & Wellness Coordinator
Erin Freese-Posthuma Program Specialist
Josh Hinton Switchyard Park Working Foreperson
Hsiung Marler.. Recreation Facilities General Manager
Sarah Mullin .
Program Specialist
Bill Ream Program/Facility Coordinator
Crystal Ritter Community Events Coordinator
Amy Shrake Inclusive Recreation Coordinator
Kevin Terrell Program Coordinator
Maggie Tull .. .. .. .. .. .. .. Switchyard Park Working Foreperson
sports
Satoshi Kido Sports Division Director
Jackson Cowden Golf Program Coordinator
Alec Curry
Sports Specialist
Daren Eads Program/Facility Coordinator
Chris Hamric Sports Specialist
Parker Harrington Sports Laborer
Shawn Kluesner Program Specialist
Chris Lamb Athletic Fields Working Foreperson
Cody Martin Sports Facility Coordinator
Brad Scroggins.. . .. .. .. .. .. .. Master Motor Equipment Operator
Jason Sims Golf Facilities Manager
Megan Stark Membership Coordinator
Mark Sterner Sports Area Manager
Message from the Board of Park Commissioners
Board of Park Commissioners
President Kathleen Mills (R) with former Mayor John Hamilton (middle) and former Parks and Recreation Department Director Paula McDevitt at the ribbon cutting for the Griffy Lake dam crossing and South Shore Trail Dec. 15, 2023.
The year 2024 was a busy year for the Bloomington Parks and Recreation Department!
The nationally recognized and award-winning Parks and Recreation Department made a number of infrastructure improvements, maintained facilities and natural areas, completed some key upgrades, and welcomed visitors from all over the country for the total solar eclipse, which included a special concert of space and sun-themed tunes.
Older children saw the implementation of the new playground at Bryan Park, complete with a giant Adirondack chair and a climbing wall. This playground offers challenges and fun for a variety of ages. Pickleball continued to be a hot sport in 2024, and the Parks and Recreation Department responded by investing in facilities to support pickleball players. Soccer facilities were also improved at Winslow Sports Complex. And after public input, a new, limestone “Bloomington” gateway sign was added in Miller-Showers Park.
In addition to facility improvements, Parks and Recreation, under the new leadership of Administrator Tim Street, continued offering events the public looks forward to year after year. These include Griffy Lake Nature Days for fourth-grade students in the Monroe County Community School Corporation system, Dearly Departed Cemetery Tours at Rose Hill Cemetery in October, Skate with Santa at the Frank Southern Ice Arena, and Yappy Hours programs for dogs and their people.
Behind those public events is a dedicated army of Parks and Recreation staff who eradicate invasive species, train lifeguards, monitor HVAC systems, maintain trails, prune and plant trees, and much, much more. The Bloomington Parks and Recreation Department is one of only three parks departments in Indiana to have achieved accreditation by the Commission for the Accreditation of Park and Recreation Agencies, or CAPRA. This mark of distinction means Bloomington Parks and Recreation has achieved the highest level of service and accountability to the community.
I hope you have been able to enjoy some of our gorgeous parks, trails, swim time, golf rounds, and other recreation opportunities in the past year. If you’re not sure what’s out there, download the OuterSpatial app and let it guide you.
Kathleen Mills, President Board of Park Commissioners
Our Mission
We equitably enrich community well-being by providing quality parks, trails, facilities, programs and services, and through the stewardship of natural spaces.
We Value
Mayor
Kerry Thomson
Administrator
Tim Street
Board of Park Commissioners
Israel Herrera
Kathleen Mills
Ellen Rodkey
Jim Whitlatch
Bloomington
Parks Foundation
2024 Board of Directors
David Skirvin, President
Tony Rastall, Vice President
Chris Hawk, Treasurer
Erin Martoglio, Secretary
Sally Baird
Doug Bruce
John Carter
Les Coyne
Ted Ferguson
Deborah Lemon
Beth Matney
Aaron Mobley
Tony Mobley
Ben Niehoff
Valerie Pena
Chris Quackenbush
Karin St. John
Jon Tichenor
Travis Vencel
Griffy Lake Nature Preserve
South Shore Trail
