Parks & Recreation January 2017

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contents january 2017 volume 52 | number 1 | www.parksandrecreation.org

FEATURES

32 Tai Chi: The Gateway to Active Seniors Exercise programs specifically designed to reduce falls are just what older adults need to become more active Sallie Thoreson, MS, and Maureen Hart, ACSM EP-C

36 Older Adults: Exploring Their Changing Demographics and Health Outlook Understanding the makeup of this growing segment of the population is key to better meeting their needs M. Jean Keller 4

Parks & Recreation

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Read the digital edition of this issue online at http://ezine. parksand recreation.org.

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contents january

departments 12 Research

columns 8 Perspectives Get Yourself Outside This Winter Stephen Eckelberry

10 Editor’s Letter

Laying the Groundwork for Park Metrics 12 NRPA Park Pulse: Giving the Gift of Outdoor Activities 14

Keep On Moving Gina Mullins-Cohen

18 Advocacy

16 Community Center Senior Games: Everybody Can Play Mary Stalling and Teresa Grodsky

Public Policy and Advocacy Outlook for 2017 David Tyahla

20 Law Review

40 NRPA Update Southwest Airlines and NRPA: Helping to Restore Monarch Habitat 40 Member Spotlight: Stephanie Gailes 41 The ‘Why’ for the National Gold Medal Award 42 CPRP Certification: The Key to Career Advancement 44 Get Your Photography On! 46 Call for NRPA Board of Directors Nominations 46 Parks & Recreation Crossword 47 NRPA Connect Hot Topics 48 Member Benefit: Save with NRPA-Sponsored Insurance Plans 48 Professional Development Calendar 49

Inaugural Parade Regulations Constitutional Challenge James C. Kozlowski, J.D., Ph.D.

26 Conservation Our Disappearing Wildlife: What Parks Can Do About It Richard J. Dolesh

28 Health and Wellness Working Together for a Healthier Wichita Becky Tuttle, MA

30 Social Equity Starting a Difficult Conversation Vitisia Paynich

50 Operations Reintroducing the Game of Golf

52 Products 53 Marketplace 55 Reader Service and Advertiser Index 56 Park Bench A Cut Above Vitisia Paynich Cover Photo by © Kempski Dreamstime.com

CORRECTION: Following the electronic distribution of the December 2016 issue, we were informed that the sky lanterns featured on the cover are a hazardous activity that is banned in a number of states. We appreciated the feedback, and were able to replace the printed cover with a more appropriate image.

6

Parks & Recreation

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Page 20

GRANT PROGRAM NFL Network, NFL PLAY 60, NRPA and NFL teams are asking afterschool programs in NFL markets to show their commitment to health and wellness for a chance to win a $7,500 grant and an NFL PLAY 60 visit with players from their local NFL team. To apply, go to www.nflfoundation.org/applications/programs/view/NRPA

Grant applications being accepted from:

1/15 – 4/1

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

Get Yourself Outside This Winter I have three active kids, and they all are involved in sports and can find stuff to do on their own outside using their imagination. But, that doesn’t mean they aren’t interested in video games or sitting in front of the television for what I consider too much time.

We all know it’s not like the old days, when we would finish our homework (possibly) and run out the door to meet up with our friends and see what game we could invent to run around the neighborhood. Or, maybe it was just playing a pickup game of basketball at the neighbor’s house or even the park. The bottom line was, we hated being inside.

Even when the weather got cold, as it does here in the Midwest, things didn’t change.

We would put on whatever we needed to and go play in the snow, make forts, snowmen, anything we could do to be outside, until we were told we needed to come in and get warm.

Now, we know that times are different. There are so many inside distractions that can make it difficult to want to go outside in any weather. Between television, including Netflix, computers and video games, there are so many things to do without stepping foot outside the house. My neighbor and I often joke around this time of year that we will see each other in the spring. That never really happens as our kids seem to find each other outside quite a bit during the colder months.

The good thing is, in addition to being involved in organized sports, my kids aren’t afraid to go outside when it’s a little cold and play street hockey or even have a snowball fight if they can drum up enough kids. When we had our first snowfall a while ago, I was ecstatic to see they had gone outside and made a small snowman on our back deck. My 16-year-old is also perfectly content to take his friends and just go sledding on the nearest snow-covered hill.

One of NRPA’s Strategic Plan goals is to give 1 million people a greater connection to nature and the outdoors. As park professionals and advocates, we play a huge role through our programs, activities and even the open spaces we offer to our communities.

Although the days are shorter and the air may be colder, encourage others to explore the outdoors. No matter where you are in the country, make sure you don’t stay inside all winter. Get yourself outside!

S T EPH EN ECK ELB ER RY Chair of the Board of Directors

8

Parks & Recreation

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

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

EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE

Jack Kardys

Chair of the Board of Directors Stephen Eckelberry

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

Michael Kelly

Chair-Elect Leon T. Andrews

Chicago Park District Chicago, Illinois

National League of Cities Washington, D.C.

Karen Kress

Past Chair Susan Trautman, CPRP Great Rivers Greenway District St. Louis, Missouri

Treasurer Michael Kelly Chicago Park District Chicago, Illinois

Secretary Jack Kardys Miami-Dade Parks, Recreation and Open Spaces Department Miami, Florida

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

BOARD OF DIRECTORS Jesus Aguirre Seattle Department of Parks and Recreation Seattle, Washington

Leon T. Andrews

Yellowstone Park Foundation Emigrant, Montana

Herman Parker City of San Diego, California, Park and Recreation Department San Diego, California

Molly Stevens Westcave Outdoor Discovery Center Austin, Texas

Susan Trautman, CPRP The Great Rivers Greenway District Saint Louis, Missouri

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

Dr. Howell Wechsler Alliance for a Healthier Generation New York, New York

LIFE TRUSTEES Beverly D. Chrisman

National League of Cities Washington, D.C.

Lexington, South Carolina

Boyd Behnke

Fort Mill, South Carolina

KPMG Des Peres, Missouri

James H. Evans

Neelay Bhatt PROS Consulting Indianapolis, Indiana

Kevin Coyle

Anne S. Close

New York, New York

Rosemary Hall Evans Sugar Hill, New Hampshire

Earl T. Groves

National Wildlife Federation Washington, D.C.

Gastonia, North Carolina

Stephen Eckelberry

Richmond, Virginia

Bartlett Park District Carol Stream, Illinois

Robert García

Charles E. Hartsoe, Ph.D.

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Baton Rouge, Louisiana W W W. PA R K S A N D R E C R E AT I O N . O R G | J A N UA R Y 2 0 1 7 |

Parks & Recreation

9

EDITOR’S LET TER

Keep On Moving Recently, CBS aired two episodes of the 1960s hit comedy series, “The Dick Van Dyke Show.” The episodes, “That’s My Boy??” and “Coast to Coast Big Mouth,” were first broadcast more than 50 years ago. Watching these episodes, I was unaware of their original air dates. These telecasts, once black and white, are now colorized and the show’s format, as well as the jokes, easily stands up to comedies produced today. A tribute, I suppose, to the show’s creator, Carl Reiner, who is now 94, but also to the show’s headliner, Dick Van Dyke.

Van Dyke has been popping up in social media quite a bit lately.

I’ve spotted several clips of him dancing: one in a February 2016 ABC tribute to Disney, where he bounced on stage recreating his role as the chimney sweep, Bert, in the 1964 classic Disney film, “Mary Poppins”; and then in a video that was filmed in his kitchen, where he woos his wife with an array of comedic expressions, jumps, struts and wiggles, reminiscent of old-time Hollywood’s magic.

Most seniors, however, have long given up the idea of skipping across the kitchen floor. They might consider themselves independent, driving and managing day-to-day errands completely on their own, but furtively living life one step at a time because of the very real fear of falling. The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention list the following statistics on the subject: • One-fourth of Americans aged 65+ fall each year.

• Every 11 seconds, an older adult is treated in the emergency room for a fall; every 19 minutes, an older adult dies from a fall.

• Falls are the leading cause of fatal injury and the most common cause of nonfatal trauma-related hospital admissions among older adults.

• The financial toll for older adult falls is expected to increase as the population ages and may reach $67.7 billion by 2020.

Falling also impacts the quality of one’s life. Because of the fear of falling, many seniors limit social engagements, resulting in isolation, depression and feelings of hopelessness.

This issue of Parks & Recreation magazine looks at the diversity within, and the health and wellness needs of, this segment of the population, as well as at how to help older adults overcome the fear of falling so they can enjoy the physical and mental benefits of being more active — particularly through the various fitness programs offered by park and recreation facilities.

Oh, and did I mention Dick Van Dyke turned 91 in December? What keeps him young? The answer, he states, is one word — movement.

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 CONTRIBUTOR Catrina Belt cbelt@nrpa.org PUBLICATION DESIGN Creative By Design www.creativebydesign.net SENIOR SALES MANAGER EASTERN REGION AND EUROPE Kip Ongstad 703.858.2174 kongstad@nrpa.org SALES MANAGER WESTERN REGION AND ASIA Michelle Dellner 949.248.1057 mdellner@nrpa.org MAGAZINE ADVISORY BOARD MEMBERS Mike Abbaté Keith Anderson Gerald Brown Ernest Burkeen Gwendolyn Chambers Brendan Daley Anthony-Paul Diaz Ryan Eaker Mariela Fernandez Robert García Kathleen Gibi Paul Gilbert Greg Harrison Tim Herd Mareya Ibrahim Edward Krafcik Todd Lehman Sam Mendelsohn Maria Nardi Lisa Paradis Gil Peñalosa Dr. Kevin Riley Matthew Rudnick Paula Sliefert Anne-Marie Spencer Stephen Springs Randy Wiger

How Would You Judge Your Agency’s Performance?

You Shouldn’t Have to Guess Use NRPA Park Metrics to evaluate your agency’s performance so you can more effectively manage and plan operating resources and capital facilities. NRPA Park Metrics, formerly known as PRORAGIS, is the most comprehensive source of data standards and insights for park and recreation agencies. Use this suite of tools to easily build customized reports and compare your agency to others to gain more funding support, improve operations and better serve your community.

Enter Your Data by January 25 to get a FREE agency performance report and for a chance to win a $50 Amazon Gift Card.

PARK METRICS

www.nrpa.org/Metrics

Research Laying the Groundwork for Park Metrics

By Kevin Roth, Ph.D., and Melissa May

S

tart the new year off right by taking an action that not only helps your agency better serve the public, but also provides park and recreation agencies like yours with access to invaluable peer insight. This action does not involve you or your agency having to give any money or to reallocate valuable resources away from the services provided to the public. You will need to expend some time, but 15 to 30 minutes tops should do and, for many agencies, the time will be even shorter.

So, what is this “action” that I am talking about? It’s completing the Agency Performance Survey for your agency in NRPA Park Metrics (formerly known as PRORAGIS). Through this survey, NRPA collects and analyzes park and recreation agency data from across the country. This information is then the basis of the annual summary report of key park and recreation statistics we publish every spring.

In our effort to make the names of our research tools more self-explanatory, this summary report, which is known as the NRPA Field Report, has a new name: the NRPA Agency Performance Review. Although the name has been changed, this report will continue to provide a comprehensive profile of local and regional park systems in the United States. It presents an informative look at the significant trends currently affecting park and recreation departments. There is no other industry benchmarking resource that provides you with more powerful data and insights to help you gauge your agency’s performance against those of its peers.

However, this resource is only as good as the information you contribute, so your contribution is imperative. The tremendous impact of NRPA Park Metrics comes from the more than 1,000 agencies that have entered their data. And, this im12 Parks & Recreation

pact is further enhanced when agencies update their data each year. We want to hear from all agencies: big and small, with large budgets and frugal means, serving millions and serving hundreds. Your voice and contribution are valued and valuable, so I encourage you to make it a habit to update your agency’s data in NRPA Park Metrics each January.

As noted in this column a few months ago, we have made a number of changes to this resource in direct response to the feedback from park and recreation professionals. The most significant change we made was a drastic streamlining of the survey instrument used to capture NRPA Park Metrics data. The 30-question survey takes far less time to complete and only asks questions that are relevant to a majority of park and recreation agencies. The survey is organized into eight different sections: • Jurisdiction (location, population, size of area served) • Agency Operations (operating expenditures, revenue sources) • Capital Budget (current year, five-year capital budget) • Personnel (FTE counts, distribution of responsibilities) • Workload (number of parks and buildings, mileage of trails, number of people served)

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• Agency Responsibilities (what agencies operate, maintain, contract) • Facilities (counts of facilities, athletic fields) • Activities (sports leagues, cultural offerings, out-of-school time programs) Perhaps you have wondered how agencies similar to yours utilize their staff, budget and/or resources. NRPA Park Metrics can help with easy-to-run reports and analysis. Plus, get the conversation started, once you complete your profile, with an easy-to-read, side-by-side comparative report that allows you to spot similarities and differences at a glance.

If your agency is new to NRPA Park Metrics, it will take you less than 30 minutes to complete the Agency Performance Survey. If you’ve completed the Agency Performance Survey in recent years, it will take even less time to update your agency’s profile. How’s that possible? Well, we added a green button titled, “Copy Data From Existing Year,” to the survey that gives agencies the option to copy the prior year’s data into their 2016 survey.

Whether or not your agency has participated in the past, now is the time to enter your 2016 data into NRPA Park Metrics. In the coming weeks, we will be putting the final touches on the 2016 NRPA Agency Performance Review (formerly the NRPA Field Report), which is one of our most read research reports every year. Having your agency’s data included is vital to making it the best resource for you and your agency to take advantage of.

As a thank-you for taking the time to enter or update your agency’s Park Met-

rics data for 2016, you will receive a customized Agency Performance Report that compares your agency’s performance to the Community Park and Recreation Standards. This report will help you and your colleagues make better informed decisions and help your agency be more effective and efficient. All agencies that have entered their 2016 survey data by the end of January will receive a customized Agency Performance Report later this spring.

Furthermore, your agency data, along with that of the more than 1,000 other park and recreation agencies that have maintained NRPA Park Metrics profiles, are the basis of a se-

ries of useful and informative interactive tools. With these tools, you can take a closer look at 21 sets of metrics cross-tabbed by peer agencies that match yours in terms of: • Acres of parkland maintained by agency • Budget size • Jurisdiction population and type • Number of FTEs • Number of parks maintained • Population per square mile • Region of the United States So, start 2017 by completing the 2016 Agency Performance Survey in NRPA Park Metrics.

Check your email inbox to see if there is an invitation to start or update your agency’s data. Otherwise, visit www.

NRPA.org/metrics and select “Enter Your Agency’s Data” to begin input or updating your agency information today.

If you need assistance, or have questions or concerns about entering your data in NRPA Park Metrics, contact Greg Manns (gmanns@industryinsights. com), (Melissa May (mmay@NRPA. org) or me (kroth@NRPA.org).

We look forward to hearing from you.

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

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Research

NRPA Park Pulse Each month, through a poll of Americans that is focused on park and recreation issues, NRPA Park Pulse will help to tell the park and recreation story. Questions span from the serious to the more lighthearted, and with this month’s poll, we take a closer look at how much Americans planned to spend in 2016 on holiday gifts associated with outdoor activities.

Most Americans Plan to Buy Holiday Gifts Associated with Outdoor Activities, Survey Finds A Park Pulse poll conducted by the National Recreation and Park Association asked 1,021 Americans ages 18+ how much they plan to spend this year on holiday gifts associated with outdoor activities (e.g., athletic shoes/clothing, sports/exercise equipment, exercise classes/lessons, camping/outdoor gear, bikes, etc.).

NRPA encourages Americans to spend more time outdoors at their local parks and recreation centers.

74%

of Americans plan to purchase gifts associated with outdoor activities

Less than $25

$25-49

$50-99

$100-249

$250-499

$500+

13%

13%

16%

26%

17%

15%

And most will spend at least $100 on gifts that promote outdoor physical activity

www.nrpa.org/Park-Pulse Š2016 National Recreation and Park Association The National Recreation and Park Association Survey was conducted by Wakefield Research (www.wakefieldresearch.com) among 1,021 nationally representative Americans, ages 18+, between October 20 and October 23, 2016, using an email invitation and an online survey. Quotas have been set to ensure reliable and accurate representation of the U.S. adult population 18 and older.

The margin of error for this study is +/- 3.1 percentage points at the 95 percent confidence level.

14 Parks & Recreation

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2017 FREE WEBINARS for NRPA Premier Members

Webinars will occur on the 2nd Thursday of each month at 2:00 p.m. E.T. To register, please visit www.nrpa.org/webinars Premier members are eligible to receive free CEUs when they participate in live premier webinars that offer CEUs*.

FEB 9

JAN 12 Rec2Tech: Empowering Your Agency to Start Small, Think Big, and Program Better*

MAY 11

Innovation Lab, Los Angeles: What is Park and Rec’s role in Combatting Homelessness?

MAR 9 Green Infrastructure in Parks Playbook: featuring Robert Goo from the US EPA

APR 13 Prepare for Summer: Innovative Learn to Swim Programs*

JUNE 8

JULY 13

AUG 10

Innovation Lab, Austin: New Ideas for Connecting Kids of All Ages to Nature

How Urban Forests in Parks Can Improve Health, Raise Property Values, and Provide Recreation*

Parks and Recreation Building Healthy Communities

sepT 14

OCT 12

NOV 9

DEC 14

10 Minute Walk: Increasing Access to Local Parks*

Taking NRPA Research Findings to Better Tell the Park & Recreation Story

NRPA Park Metrics: Embracing Agency Performance Data to Better Serve Your Community

ADA Under the New Federal Administration

er Benefi emb

ts

M

*Free CEUs available upon completion of quiz.

PREMIER b e r B e n e fit

s

M

em

Visit www.nrpa.org/Premier to learn more about your Premier Member Benefits

Attracting People to Parks in the Digital Age*

Community Center Senior Games: Everybody Can Play

By Mary Stalling and Teresa Grodsky

P

ark and recreation agencies need to keep seniors active and social as they age in order for them to be healthy, happy and feel valued. Senior Games, first organized in St. Louis, Missouri, in 1985, is a great way to engage older adults physically, mentally and socially, while giving them a feeling of accomplishment. The Six County Senior Games in Illinois has been holding its event for 35 years and has seen it grow to include more than 500 participants.

The first National Senior Games were held in 1987 in St. Louis. Today, the games are run by the National Senior Games Association and are the largest multi-sport event in the world for seniors. All adults, 50 years old and over, whether extremely active or not, are welcome to participate. The most important facets of the games are participation and striving for a personal best.

Getting Started Before deciding to hold a Senior Games, you will want to decide if your philosophy is strictly sports oriented or if you want to add more sedentary activities. Senior

Seniors “get set” for their heat of a race during the 2015 Six County Senior Games, sponsored by the Illinois Park and Recreation Association.

16 Parks & Recreation

Games include less vigorous sports, such as cornhole (aka bean bag toss), shuffleboard and Wii bowling, for those who are not able to participate in more strenuous activities due to physical limitations, as well as more rigorous, competitive individual and team sports, such as volleyball, softball, pickleball, swimming, and track and field. Some organizations include bridge tournaments and mini-golf.

The Six County Senior Games in Illinois chose a sports philosophy.

Start small and go with the trends and events, like pickleball, that are most popular in your area or with active adults in general. Look within your own area or community at what is out there and what the seniors like to do and are requesting.

Many of your participants are on fixed or limited incomes, so entry fees should be affordable. You should charge an entry fee, but just make sure it is reasonable for your area. Senior Games should be viewed as a fun event geared toward your seniors and keeping them active, not as a huge moneymaker for the agency. Different fees should be charged for individual versus team sports, and there should be extra charges for events at venues that have rental fees and other costs. These include items such as green fees for golf, games in bowling or if lunch is included as part of an event.

Planning the Games In terms of venues for the various events, look for recreation departments or high

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school facilities that are community minded and that are willing to work with you to offer the events. Ask if they’d be willing to let you use the facility free of charge. They must be conveniently located and in good condition, and it’s also helpful if they have staff that will work the event with you.

Lots of volunteers are key to running an event that is professional yet fun. You’ll need a chairperson who is responsible for setting up and running each event. Be sure your chair people are knowledgeable about their respective events and their rules and that they are able to take the lead and give direction with the help of their volunteers.

Your own park district (athletic and fitness supervisors), senior networking group, interns and sponsors are great sources for finding volunteers. We’ve found that once people volunteer, they are normally hooked and will return the following year. Through these events, relationships form between volunteers and participants. The volunteers look forward to seeing “their” friends that they made the year before, and the seniors are happy to see the same volunteers. It is a win-win for all. This year, Illinois’s Six County Senior Games had more than 500 participants spread over 21 events, and we had 44 volunteers, most of whom have been helping out for many years.

Finding Participants Entry forms can be mailed to interested seniors but should also be accessible online. Forms can also be made available to recreation departments, tennis facilities, golf courses, bowling alleys and in other places older adults generally frequent.

All registration for the games, includ-

ing a liability waiver, should be done in advance. The registration form should include the guidelines for each event, directions to the various venues and information about awards, age groupings and what to do in case of an emergency.

To offset the cost of entry fees and the rental facility and also help to purchase giveaways for the participants, you’ll need to secure sponsorships; for example, from local living facilities and home healthcare companies. A word of caution: Do not have too many competing sponsors that will be vying for the attention of the participants.

Hospitality and opportunities to be social are also integral to a successful Senior Games. You may ask the games committee to offers drinks and snacks at each event. It is very important to have water and sports drinks, such as Gatorade, for the competitors. As the event grows, it is always fun to have an opening and closing celebration. Sponsors, often, are interested in hosting these types of celebrations, which offer participants another opportunity to socialize and to celebrate their accomplishments.

As far as recognizing participants’ accomplishments, you can give the top three male and female winners in each age category a gold, silver or bronze medal. Age categories can be broken down in five-year increments and go as high as the oldest participant. There should also be goodie bag handouts for the participants at each event, including a water bottle or another like item. Each year, the individual Senior Games organizations provide all participants with an event T-shirt, which the competitors proudly wear.

In this social media age, adding a Facebook page and including pictures and results from past events, and follow-up articles with pictures in the local newspaper will help to stimulate interest in the games and give the competitors expo

sure. With the growing number of older active adults, hosting Senior Games is a healthy, positive and exciting way to engage them! Start today. You will be glad you did.

Mary Stalling is the Adult Activities Manager for the Dundee Township Park District (mstallings@ dtpd.org). Teresa Grodsky is the Active Adults Coordinator for the Addison Park District (tgrodsky@addisonparks.org).

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Parks & Recreation

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ADVOCACY

Public Policy and Advocacy Outlook for 2017 There will be plenty of change coming out of our nation’s capital

By David Tyahla

I

t’s a new year following an election, and that means we have a new Congress, new White House administration and all the new challenges AND opportunities that come along with it. Change is to be expected, but the sheer number of new faces and ideas appearing in Washington require much more than a simple “scorecard” to keep track of them all. That’s where the NRPA Public Policy Team comes in to provide a little clarity and a look ahead to what’s in store for 2017.

Since the November Election President-elect Trump will officially take the oath of office and become our 45th president on January 20. Prior to joining the president in the White House, his nominees for Cabinet-level positions, including the secretaries for key federal agencies, such as Agriculture, Health & Human Services, Interior, Transportation and Education, are required to go through Senate confirmation. The Public Policy Team has been sharing regular updates via the “Open Space” blog and Advocacy Insid18 Parks & Recreation

er newsletter, as well as by hosting webinar programs aimed at providing the most up-to-date information possible.

We will continue to provide updates

U.S. House Partisan Breakdown Party

Nov. 2016

Election 2017

on who has been nominated, as well as confirmed, to key positions within the new Trump administration via NRPA social media.

With regard to Congress, both the U.S. House of Representatives and the Senate remain in Republican control to start 2017 — albeit with reduced majorities compared to last term. The following table shows the pre- and post-election breakdown:

U.S. Senate Partisan Breakdown Party

Election 2017

Nov. 2016

DEM

186

194

DEM

44

46

GOP

246

241

GOP

54

52

Vacant

3

0

Ind.

2

2

Total:

435

435

Total:

100

100

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Even with single-party control of the Congress and White House, the checks and balances to the political system established under the Constitution will continue to make it difficult to pass major changes to existing policy. Visit the Advocacy webpage (www.nrpa.org/our-work/ advocacy/) to learn more about key legislative issues and priorities being tracked by the NRPA Public Policy Team.

Overtime Rule Delayed Indefinitely in Federal Court Just prior to Thanksgiving, a federal judge in Texas issued a temporary injunction against the Obama administration’s looming overtime rule, which was slated to go into effect December 1, 2016. This means that employers across the country, including park and recreation agencies, are no longer responsible for complying with the overtime rule. Many park and recreation agencies had been shifting schedules, awarding comp time or adjusting salaries in order to prepare for the pending rule, which would have roughly doubled the salary cap for employees eligible for overtime pay.

The injunction is meant to give the court more time to weigh the merits of the pending lawsuit on behalf of numerous attorneys general. In effect, this indefinite delay means the overtime rule will be overturned once the Trump administration takes office January 20. As we have mentioned in previous blog posts and webinars, President-elect Trump has highlighted the overtime rule as an onerous and burdensome regulation for businesses.

Public Policy Survey and Our New Platform for 2017 In December, we distributed a survey — open to all NRPA members — seeking your input on what issues and policies are most important to you as we begin our work in 2017. Your thoughtful responses are appreciated and have been

very valuable as we prepare to introduce our legislative and policy platform for the new Congress and administration.

We’ll release the 2017 Public Policy Platform later this month.

Looking Forward What all these changes will ultimately mean for our key Conservation, Health and Wellness and Social Equity policy priorities is not clear at this point in time. The one thing we know for sure is that your participation in the process will be more important than ever. Here are a few ways to stay connected to what will remain a very dynamic political environment: • Follow us on social media and sign up for our Advocacy Insider updates and Action Alerts where we make it simple to contact your elected leaders in Washington, D.C., on the hottest issues.(www.nrpa.org/our-work/ advocacy/)

The one thing we know for sure is that your participation in the process will be more important than ever.

• Become a Park Champion, and help with this initiative aimed at “Bringing Capitol Hill to a Park Near You.” We’ll provide you with all the tools and support your need to be an effective advocate at the local community level (www.nrpa.org/ our-work/advocacy/park-champions/).

• Join us, later this month, Thursday, January 26 at 2 p.m. ET, for our important webinar on the new Congress and administration and our 2017 Public Policy Platform, which will provide the most up-to-the-minute information on what is happening

during these rapidly changing times in Washington, as well as formally introduce our legislative and advocacy agenda for the year.

As park and recreation agencies enter 2017, the Public Policy Team will continue to analyze the “new” politics in Washington, D.C., and looks forward to working on your behalf with the incoming administration (as well as the new Congress) to promote these and other policy priorities before key decisionmakers in our nation’s capital.

David Tyahla is NRPA’s Senior Government Affairs Manager (dtyahla@nrpa.org).

Final Legislative Update for 2016 Prior to finally adjourning for the year, Congress approved a short-term spending package (known as a Continuing Resolution) to keep the government operating at existing levels of funding until April 28, 2017. This will mean that the next Congress and administration will be responsible for completing work on the annual budget, which ends September 30.

The House and Senate unanimously approved legislation (Recreation’s Economic Contributions Act or REC Act), which ensures that the outdoor recreation economy, including outdoor industry jobs and their economic impact, are measured by the federal government and accounted for as part of the overall U.S. economy. However, despite earnest efforts from members in both chambers, Congress was unable to complete work on broad energy reform legislation, which would have included permanent reauthorization of the Land and Water Conservation Fund (LWCF). In addition, efforts to reauthorize the Child Nutrition Act were also unsuccessful. Therefore, work will have to begin, anew, on both policy priorities in 2017.

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Inaugural Parade Regulations Constitutional Challenge

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

I

n the case of A.N.S.W.E.R. Coalition v. Jewell, 153 F. Supp. 3d 395; 2016 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 10027 (Dist. D.C. 1/28/2016), the federal district court considered a constitutional challenge to National Park Service (NPS) regulations that restricted the areas open to expressive activity during the presidential inaugural parade in Washington, D.C. Plaintiff A.N.S.W.E.R. (Act Now to Stop War and End Racism) Coalition (ANSWER) is an unincorporated grassroots organization that engages in political organizing and activism in opposition to war and racism. Every four years since 2005, ANSWER has organized or attempted to organize a mass demonstration along Pennsylvania Avenue or in Freedom Plaza to engage in political dissent during the presidential inaugural parade.

The Department of the Interior has the authority to issue and implement, through NPS, rules and regulations that

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oversee the use of federal grounds within the National Park System (see 54 U.S.C. §§ 100101, 100751). Pursuant to this authority, NPS has promulgated regulations for a permitting system that allows the use of National Park System land around the national capital region for special events and demonstrations.

The Secretary of the Interior has additional statutory authority under the Presidential Inaugural Ceremonies Act (PICA) to “grant to the Inaugural Committee a permit to use [federal] reservations or grounds during the inaugural period, including a reasonable time before

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and after the inaugural period” (see 36 U.S.C. § 503(a)).

NPS regulations, as amended, grant the Presidential Inaugural Committee (PIC) exclusive access to some of these same areas in connection with events relating to the presidential inauguration (see 36 C.F.R. § 7.96(g)(4)(iii) (2012)).

ANSWER claimed “the NPS policy and practice of granting to PIC exclusive use of the public space abutting the Inaugural Parade route is unconstitutional.” In so doing, ANSWER argued the First Amendment required “the NPS make the sidewalks abutting the Inaugural Parade generally open for the public for use.”

Parade Route Exclusive Use In pertinent part, the NPS regulations at issue “reserved for priority use” in

connection with presidential inaugural ceremonies portions of “Pennsylvania Avenue, National Historic Park and Sherman Park” for the “exclusive use of the Presidential Inaugural Committee on Inaugural Day” for ticketed bleachers viewing and access areas.

According to NPS, these regulations granted PIC additional priority and exclusive use of approximately 14 percent of Pennsylvania Avenue along the inaugural parade route.

ANSWER alleged that enforcement of the regulatory set-aside in the NPS regulations constituted “identity-based, viewpoint-based and/or content-based discrimination” in violation of the First Amendment. Moreover, ANSWER contended there was “no compelling purpose served by favoring PIC or the Administration and disfavoring others.”

Traditional Free Speech Forum As cited by the federal district court, the First Amendment provides, in relevant part, that “Congress shall make no law abridging the freedom of speech or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the government for a redress of grievances” (U.S. Const. amend. I).

In this particular instance, the court found ANSWER’s proposed demonstration activities were “expressive activities involving ‘speech’ protected by the First Amendment.” Further, the court noted the “general concepts of First Amendment freedoms are given added impetus as to speech and peaceful demonstrations in Washington, D.C., by the clause of the Constitution, which assures citizens of the right to assemble peaceably at the seat of government and present grievances.”

In so doing, the federal district court found “Freedom Plaza and the sidewalks of Pennsylvania Avenue are quintessential public forums” that “occupy a

privileged position in the hierarchy of First Amendment jurisprudence.” In these quintessential public forums, the court acknowledged “the government may not prohibit all communicative or expressive activity.”

A traditional public forum is one that has traditionally been available for public expression, assembly and debate, such as public streets and parks.

These places have immemorially been held in trust for the use of the public and, time out of mind, have been used for purposes of assembly, communicating thoughts between citizens and discussing public questions. Such use of the streets and public places is a part of the privileges, immunities, rights and liberties of citizens.

public forum. As a general rule, in such a forum the government may not selectively shield the public from some kinds of speech on the ground that they are more offensive than others.

Content Neutral Regulations According to the federal district court, “the government may enforce reasonable time, place and manner restrictions” if such restrictions “are content-neutral, are narrowly tailored to serve a significant government interest, and leave open ample alternative channels of communication.”

In determining content neutrality, the court would determine “whether the government has adopted a regulation of speech because of disagreement with

...the NPS regulations at issue ‘reserved for priority use’ in connection with presidential inaugural ceremonies portions of ‘Pennsylvania Avenue, National Historic Park and Sherman Park’ for the ‘exclusive use of the Presidential Inaugural Committe on Inaugural Day’ for ticketed bleachers viewing and access areas.

The federal district court, however, noted that government “may regulate speech in these forums through the promulgation of rules and regulations.”

Specifically, the court found that the government “may require permits for the exercise of expressive rights.” In so doing, such governmental regulation of speech must be “content-neutral and does not favor one person’s or cause’s views over another.”

The guiding First Amendment principle that the government has no power to restrict expression because of its message, its ideas, its subject matter or its content applies with full force in a traditional

the message it conveys.” On the other hand, the court noted government regulation of expressive activity is content neutral “so long as it is justified without reference to the content of the regulated speech.” Moreover, the federal district court found the “narrowly tailored” test would require “a real nexus between the challenged regulation and the significant governmental interest sought to be served by the regulation.”

It is not enough that a regulation is facially reasonable, or that a governmental interest is significant; rather, it must be shown that a reasonable regulation is narrowly tailored to substantially serve

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a significant governmental interest. To put it another way, there must be a close fit between ends and means.

In so doing, the federal district court noted government “must afford all points of view an equal opportunity to be heard.” In particular, the court found the First Amendment would not allow the government to “grant the use of a forum to people whose views it finds acceptable, but deny use to those wishing to express less favored or more controversial views.”

definite standards to guide the licensing authority” in order to comply with the First Amendment.

Moreover, the federal district court found the government “bears the burden of justifying its permitting restrictions.”

In particular, the court noted the NPS permitting regulations governing federal parklands within the capital city must be “enforced uniformly and without discrimination.” Further, “when faced with disputes about the rights of protesters on Inauguration Day” every four years, the

In order to ‘regulate competing uses of public forums,’ the federal district court found ‘the government may impose a permit requirement on those wishing to hold a march, parade or rally, or otherwise use the parks and streets for expressive activity.

Narrow Objective Definite Standards In order to “regulate competing uses of public forums,” the federal district court found “the government may impose a permit requirement on those wishing to hold a march, parade or rally, or otherwise use the parks and streets for expressive activity.” As noted by the court, “any permitting scheme must “not delegate overly broad licensing discretion to a government official.”

Where the licensing official enjoys unduly broad discretion in determining whether to grant or deny a permit, there is a risk that he will favor or disfavor speech based on its content.

Specifically, the court found the arbitrary application of a government regulation has “the potential for becoming a means of suppressing a particular point of view.” To address this risk, the court found any permitting scheme or license “must contain narrow, objective and 22 Parks & Recreation

court found the “NPS may not reserve all of the sidewalks on Pennsylvania Avenue for PIC.” Accordingly, the issue before the federal district court was “how much, if any, of the Pennsylvania Avenue sidewalks and Freedom Plaza can constitutionally be reserved for the exclusive use of PIC and its ticketed guests on Inauguration Day.” In so doing, the court would also consider “how much must be left open so that any peaceful demonstrators may be granted a permit regardless of viewpoint or content.”

Government or Private Speech?

To resolve this First Amendment issue, the court would determine whether PIC’s speech in the set-aside areas at the inaugural parade was government speech or private speech. According to the court, “[w]hen the government

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speaks for itself and is not regulating the speech of others,” the court acknowledged the government “may discriminate based on viewpoint.” Conversely, the court noted “the government may not discriminate based on viewpoint when it regulates private speech.”

Further, the federal district court acknowledged “the First Amendment’s Free Speech Clause does not apply to the government as communicator.”

When the government speaks, it is not barred by the Free Speech Clause from determining the content of what it says...When the state is the speaker, it may make content-based choices.

The government may favor its own expression and is free to establish venues for the exclusive expression of its own viewpoint.

In this particular instance, the court found “PIC is not a governmental entity,” but a “privately funded, nonprofit, non-governmental, partisan organization that represents the interests of the President-Elect.” That being said, the federal district court noted PIC’s involvement in the inaugural parade “still may constitute government speech.”

The fact that private parties take part in the design and propagation of a message does not extinguish the governmental nature of the message or transform the government’s role into that of a mere forum-provider.

Under the circumstances, the federal district court found “PIC’s speech constitutes government speech.” Moreover, the court found “the regulatory set-aside of 16 percent of the parade route for the government, and the restriction for all others to 84 percent of the route, does not discriminate among private speakers based on content or viewpoint.”

Government Speech Factors In determining “whether PIC’s speech constitutes government speech,” the

federal district court would examine the following three factors: (1) The history of the speech at issue (2) A reasonable observer’s perception of the speaker (3) Control and final authority over the content of the message In the opinion of the court, factors one and two weighed in favor of finding “PIC’s speech constitutes government speech”: First, since the founding of this nation, the United States government has used the Presidential Inauguration Ceremony and its attendant celebrations to ‘speak to the public.’...

Second, the Inauguration Ceremony and Parade are ‘closely identified in the public mind with’ the United States government...A reasonable and fully informed observer would understand such expression to be government speech, as distinct from private speech.

According to the federal district court, the third factor; that is, control and final authority over the content of the message, was “not so cut-and-dried.” In particular, the court found “no direct evidence in the record as to the extent to which, if any, the government retains control and final authority over PIC’s expressive activities — such as the signs, flags or banners displayed — within the set-aside areas at the Inaugural Parade.”

Moreover, the court found that the “PIC ultimately is in charge of the Presidential Inaugural Ceremony and functions and activities connected with the ceremony.”

Specifically, the court found the Presidential Inaugural Committee “organizes, plans and executes most of the inaugural celebration activities, including the Inaugural Parade and even is responsible for choosing the participants.”

On the other hand, the federal district court noted “PIC is controlled by the President-Elect, who becomes the Chief Executive of the United States government upon taking the oath of office at

noon on Inauguration Day — hours before the Inaugural Parade begins and ANSWER and others wish to protest in the set-aside areas of Freedom Plaza and the seven-block stretch of Pennsyl-

vania Avenue.” Further, while “PIC is in charge of the Parade,” the court noted “the United States government contributes significant public funds, in addition to the private funding raised by PIC.”

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viewing stands for the President’s ticketed guests, as representing the viewpoint of the United States government.”

Applying these three government speech factors to the circumstances of this particular case, the federal district court concluded “PIC’s speech constitutes government speech.”

Although the final, and perhaps most important, factor — control over content — arguably weighs to some extent against finding government speech, the first two factors weigh 24 Parks & Recreation

strongly in favor. The Inaugural Parade has long served as a very public platform for the speech of the Administration of the new President — he or she, not the PIC, ultimately ‘sets the overall message to be communicated.’

Further, in the opinion of the court, “reasonable observers would readily identify the Parade and the activities surrounding it, including the official

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Private Speech Rights?

Having found the PIC’s speech to be government speech, the federal district court still had to consider the implications of the regulatory set-aside on the free speech rights of private parties, like ANSWER. While the “PIC’s speech itself is not subject to First Amendment scrutiny,” the court acknowledged “the restriction of the expressive activities of ANSWER and all other private persons and entities to limited portions of the parade route and Freedom Plaza is.”

According to the federal district court, the regulatory set-aside would be valid under the First Amendment if it satisfied the following four criteria: (1) It is within the constitutional power of the government.

(2) It furthers an important or substantial government interest.

(3) The governmental interest is unrelated to the suppression of free expression (4) the incidental restriction on alleged First Amendment freedoms is no greater than is essential to the furtherance of that interest.

In this particular instance, the federal district court noted, “ANSWER has made no argument challenging the government’s constitutional power.” Further, the court found “the restriction is content-neutral.” As a result, the only issues remaining for consideration were the following: (1) Does the regulatory set-aside further an important or substantial government interest?

(2) Is the restriction on First Amendment freedoms substantially no greater than necessary to further that interest?

(3) Are there ample alternative channels available for communication?

Substantial Interest Narrowly Tailored As described by the federal district court, “a regulation is narrowly tailored when it does not burden substantially more speech than is necessary to further the government’s interests.” Further, the court noted a “narrowly tailored regulation need not be the least restrictive or least intrusive means of serving the government’s content-neutral interests.” On the contrary, the court found a regulation is valid “if a substantial portion of the burden it imposes furthers the government’s interest, even though a less intrusive alternative might also exist.”

NPS argued that “PIC is recognized by statute as the committee appointed by the President-Elect to be in charge of the Presidential Inaugural Ceremony and functions and activities connected with the ceremony.” Accordingly, NPS contended the government “has a significant interest in assisting PIC in meeting its statutory duties to plan inauguration ceremonies and activities.”

As cited by the federal district court, Congress expressly placed the PIC “in charge of the Presidential Inaugural Ceremony and functions and activities connected with the ceremony” (see 36 U.S.C. § 501(1)). Accordingly, the federal district court agreed with NPS that “the government has a significant and important interest in planning and executing the Inaugural Parade.”

In the opinion of the federal district court, “the government’s interest is undoubtedly significant — the Inaugural Parade is an event followed worldwide that celebrates the observance of the inauguration of the Chief Executive of the United States.” Moreover, the court noted that “Inauguration Day has been recognized by Congress as a federal holiday.”

Further, the federal district court found “the regulation is narrowly tailored to serve that interest.” Specifically, the

court found the “modest restriction of the space available to the general public is narrowly tailored and cannot be said to burden ‘substantially more speech than is necessary’ to further the government’s interest.”

Moreover, the court found no case law support for “the proposition that ANSWER is entitled to protest at the specific location that it believes will be most effective.”

The First Amendment does not guar-

...the federal district court found ‘the regulatory setaside reserves only 16 percent of the Inaugural Parade route, leaving the vast majority of Pennsylvania Avenue sidewalks and portions of Freedom Plaza open to ANSWER and the general public.

To further the government’s interest in PIC fulfilling that statutory mandate, NPS has reserved approximately 16 percent of the parade route for PIC’s exclusive use for facilities directly related to effective execution of the Parade.

The reserved spaces are used to provide reasonable viewing areas for the President’s ticketed guests — a substantial source of PIC’s private fundraising — facilities for the media outlets from across the globe that cover the Inaugural Ceremony and Parade, and portable toilets for the public.

antee the right to communicate one’s views at all times and places or in any manner that may be desired.

ANSWER’s argument that there is ‘no other suitable or alternative space along the parade route for its intended rally’ is unpersuasive.

Having found “ANSWER and the general public retain access to 84 percent of the parade route for their expressive activities,” the federal district court concluded that “the regulatory set-aside provides ample alternative channels for ANSWER’s communication at the Inaugural Parade.”

Ample Communication Alternatives Most significantly, the federal district court found “the regulatory set-aside reserves only 16 percent of the Inaugural Parade route, leaving the vast majority of the Pennsylvania Avenue sidewalks and portions of Freedom Plaza open to ANSWER and the general public.” As noted by the court, in past inaugurations, ANSWER had been granted “use of several different spaces, including John Marshall Park and a small portion of Freedom Plaza.” In particular, the court noted that “ANSWER has engaged in expressive activity at every Inaugural Parade since 2005,” and ANSWER has “touted its demonstrations as a success.”

Conclusion Having found the challenged NPS regulations to be consistent with the free speech and assembly requirements of the First Amendment, the federal district court granted summary judgment in favor of defendant, NPS. 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 (j.kozlows@gmu.edu). Webpage with link to Law Review articles archive (1982 to present): http://mason.gmu. edu/~jkozlows.

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Young ospreys, close to fledging from their nest at Patuxent River Park in Maryland, express their opinion about the prospect of receiving a leg band, an important research tool that has aided in the recovery of this valuable species.

Our Disappearing Wildlife: What Parks Can Do About It

By Richard J. Dolesh

A

sk any longtime park person who is knowledgeable about nature in parks if they think the diversity of wildlife has declined in recent years.

Almost without exception, they will say that it has decreased, and sometimes alarmingly so.

Bobwhite quail, monarch butterflies, rusty-patched bumblebees, leopard frogs, bog turtles: All of these species are in serious trouble. The Washington Post ran an article not too long ago titled, “Ten Things in Nature That Could Vanish Before Your Kids See Them.”

Sam Droege, a research scientist for the U.S. Geological Survey who is head of the National Bee Inventory and Monitoring lab says, “In my field, the study of bees, the decline is alarming.”

U.S. Mirrors Global Loss of Biodiversity The Living Planet Index, a widely respected summary of conditions issued biennially by the World Wildlife Fund, shows a substantial and steady decline in biodi26 Parks & Recreation

versity globally. All vertebrate species are on the decline with the greatest losses in freshwater and terrestrial species.

The 2016 update of the Index shows that a stunning 58 percent of all wildlife species in the world have disappeared in just over 40 years. And, the data is not coming just from developing countries. Other research has shown that many songbird populations in the mid-Atlantic of the United States have declined nearly 80 percent. One-third of all North American bird species are at risk of extinction and, in the United States, twothirds of all mammal species are declining.

The greatest factors cited in the decline of wildlife are habitat loss and degradation. Negative changes to freshwater systems are also responsible for

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greatest losses of species diversity. Climate change, invasive species and pollution are also cited. Overall, freshwater species are estimated to have declined by 81 percent over this period, with amphibians the most seriously threatened freshwater class of species. These are shocking losses that are happening within our lifetimes.

Just how much habitat is being lost?

The Land Trust Alliance, a national nonprofit in the United States, estimates that more than 5,000 acres per day of open space is being lost to residential and energy development. This is a jaw-dropping loss of land that previously provided habitat for wildlife — every day!

Reasons for Hope But, even in the midst of such grim statistics, there are reasons for hope. Terrestrial animals, according to the Living Planet Index, have only declined 38 per-

cent, and losses in protected natural areas were only half that percentage, a factor strongly indicating that nature preserves, parks and other protected open spaces can help stem declines.

Tim Moloney, executive director of Columbus Franklin Metro Parks in Ohio, says that we are seeing declines, but there is much we can do to reverse these declines. Even though central Ohio has seen unprecedented development in recent years, Moloney says, “Our park system has been able to keep pace. We restored a prairie, and we now have bison roaming in our parks. Sandhill cranes are now nesting in our parks, and I am looking out my window at 19 turkeys, a species that was rarely found here 25 years ago.”

Greg Kearns, senior park naturalist for the Maryland-National Capital Park and Planning Commission, says, “Some species are certainly on the decline, but others are on the rise — for example, look at bald eagles and osprey in the Chesapeake Bay. They have made a dramatic comeback since the 1970s.” Other species, he agrees, are in serious decline — in the United States these species include forest interior-dwelling birds, grassland birds, certain waterfowl species, many amphibians, pollinating insects and others.

The reasons for the decline are not fully known. “Climate change is a reason, but not the only factor. Chemicals, for example, are being spread throughout ecosystems,” Kearns adds. He described the work of a doctoral candidate who’s been taking blood samples of osprey, a fish-eating hawk, on Poplar Island in a remote area of the Chesapeake Bay. “She found traces of blood pressure medicines, antidepressants and other substances in their blood. What kind of questions does this raise?” he asks.

Other species, Kearns noted, such as coyotes, have adapted well to human influence and are flourishing. However, their predation of meadow voles has likely caused the further decline of barn owls, a species in need of conservation. “It is so important to preserve ecosystems and biodiversity,” says Kearns.

“We don’t know what the long-term effects of the loss of many wildlife species will mean to our future.”

What Can Parks Do? There is much that parks can do to reverse these downward trends, and it is important that we do. “Parks will become the repository of biodiversity,” says Droege. “It’s all about habitat.

As our nation continues to grow and develop, all the infrastructure being built — homes, power lines, roads — is taking land.

Protecting places for nature will more and more become the mission of park and recreation agencies. Parks need to think beyond just providing recreation.”

Moloney agrees: “All too often we react to those customers who want athletic fields and recreation facilities. But, there is a voice for conservation that is not always heard. We have 9.5

million visitors per year to our parks whose visits are primarily based on conservation — hiking, birding and wildlife viewing.”

He adds that wildlife-friendly parks don’t have to be big. They can include a pocket wetland or a vernal pool. “If you do it right,” he continues, “even small places can create diversity and attract wildlife, as well as attracting the public.”

Every park and recreation agency should include conservation in its mission. Of course, every agency doesn’t have prairies for bison to roam, or lakes and rivers for osprey to nest.

But, every agency does have places for wildlife and opportunities to enhance habitat. Your staff and your citizen volunteers can put up nest boxes for cavity-nesting birds, such as bluebirds, that are threatened. You can enhance habitat by managing meadows and grasslands, installing pollinator gardens and seeking other innovative opportunities to improve habitat for wildlife. You can conserve and restore native wildlife species.

To reverse the declines, every agency needs to embrace the conservation of wildlife. Your public will support you and it is the right thing for parks to do.

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

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HEALTH AND WELLNESS

Members of the Health & Wellness Coalition of Wichita (HWC) examine a vegetable garden at Coleman Middle School in Wichita, Kansas, during the 2016 Food Day Luncheon.

Working Together for a Healthier Wichita

By Becky Tuttle, MA

A

healthy community doesn’t happen by accident. With the numerous health concerns facing our nation, it is imperative for communities to assemble coalitions that represent multiple sectors to address these health issues.

The Health & Wellness Coalition of Wichita (HWC) believes it takes partnerships and collaborations to make changes to the community environment and is working to ensure the entire community lives a healthy lifestyle.

HWC, which celebrated its 10-year anniversary in 2014, began with 16 members from 12 organizations who developed the coalition’s mission and vision.

Today, the coalition has more than 135 members from close to 100 organizations representing partnerships among public health, private business, municipal government, community advocates, planners, developers, schools and neighborhoods, and boasts a monthly newsletter distribution list of more than 8,000 individuals. Seven thriving subcommittees (Physical Activity, Healthy Eating, National Bike Month Planning, Annual Working Well Conference Plan-

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ning, Working Well Think Tank Planning, Working Well Award Review and Healthy School) allow community members to be actively engaged in planning HWC’s programs and policy initiatives.

Community leaders recognize that citizens can’t move more or eat healthier foods without changes to local policies and the environment. Safe sidewalks, trails and bicycle lanes make it easier for people to incorporate physical activity as recreation and as a mode of transportation. Healthy food choices in school cafeterias and restaurants, well-supported food banks and neighborhood community gardens, and farmers markets

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offer options for healthier food. Making sustainable community change involves long-term partnerships, and the HWC serves as the vehicle to allow those partnerships to be established and community change to occur.

HWC efforts have led to the completion of three studies focusing on access to healthy foods in the Greater Wichita Area to help guide the work of Wichita’s Food Policy Committee and the implementation of a Wichita Food Plan. The first report, Wichita Food Deserts: Why We Should Care, was released in 2013 and helped build awareness and understanding of the community’s food situation.

It revealed that 25 percent of residents, mostly in lower-income neighborhoods, live in a food desert. A year later, The Hurdles to Healthy Food Access report was released, and it took a deeper dive into understanding the obstacles faced when making food choices by those who live

in food deserts. HWC, in collaboration with K-State Research and Extension, released the last report in 2015, Local Food System Assessment, which discusses barriers and opportunities for producing more fruits and vegetables in Sedgwick County and offers a vision for the future.

HWC’s successes have been well documented, including leveraging more than $3.2 million to fulfill the mission of the coalition. A portion of this funding has been used to train the City of Wichita Planning and Public Works Department staff to develop routine accommodation policies and street design standards to support walking and biking. In addition, the city’s decisionmakers have institutionalized the Bicycle and Pedestrian Advisory Board, which has representation from each district in the city and whose members are appointed by the

city council. The board was vital in supporting the adoption and implementation of the Wichita Bicycle Master Plan and the Wichita Pedestrian Master Plan.

Both Plans instruct city staff on how to ensure that multimodal forms of transportation are incorporated into the city’s infrastructure through 2024.

In the Greater Wichita Metro Area, as well as in the state of Kansas, HWC has been instrumental in expanding worksite wellness initiatives. The coalition has hosted a Working Well Conference for the past 12 years that features national worksite wellness experts as presenters, provides a forum for networking and recognizes local worksite wellness champions through the Working Well Award.

A major component of the conference is policy development for the workplace, aimed at creating a culture of health, as

well as promoting the economic benefits of successful worksite wellness programs. Worksite wellness program sustainability and leadership are also key themes.

A key partner in HWC’s mission to promote physical activity and healthy eating for every generation living in the Greater Wichita is the City of Wichita Park and Recreation Department. Since increasing access to physical activity and the built environment are the focus of many of the coalition efforts, HWC has formed a close working relationship with this newly accredited department. It was a natural partnership that will help improve the health of the community in the years to come.

Becky Tuttle, MA, is Project Manager at HealthICT at the Medical Society of Sedgwick County (beckytuttle@med-soc.org).

Power Your Community’s Health & Wellness Help your Community Get Moving Physical Inactivity is the 4th leading risk factor for death in the world.

(World Health Organization)

Learn more: powersystems.com/NRPA

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SOCIAL EQUITY Starting a Difficult Conversation A fatal police shooting prompts dialogue between a community and its law enforcement

By Vitisia Paynich

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n July 6, 2016, 32-year-old African-American Philando Castile and his fiancé, Diamond Reynolds, were pulled over by Officer Jeronimo Yanez in Falcon Heights, an area bordering Roseville, Minnesota. According to reports, the traffic stop escalated into an out-of-control confrontation, resulting in the officer fatally shooting Castile. Officer Yanez claimed he stopped the two people because they fit the description of suspects in a convenience store robbery just a few days prior. News of the altercation spread like wildfire when Reynolds streamed live video of the shooting aftermath via Facebook.

The Castile incident also drew widespread criticism of the police department for what many considered an unjustified use of deadly force. Although the shooting occurred at the hands of the St. Anthony Police Department, some residents in nearby Roseville worried that the same thing could happen in their community.

One such resident, Terry Newby, a Roseville Parks and Recreation Commission member, happened to be driving through the same area just 10 to 15 minutes after the deadly confrontation. “It really hit home for me because I am a black man, and I drive past that intersection all the time,” explains Newby. “It made me think, ‘that could have been me.’”

That realization prompted Newby to initiate a dialogue between Roseville resi-

dents and city officials, which meant calling a council member and the mayor to get the ball rolling. The next step was forming a committee comprised of 20 volunteers and out of that group, a smaller planning committee to develop the actual event. The small committee included Newby, Roseville Mayor Dan Roe and Chief of Police Rick Mathwig. The group named this series of discussions Imagine Roseville, which evolved from an earlier city project.

Addressing Concerns In the beginning, Newby notes, there was some concern that because the Castile shooting had attracted national media attention, protesters — whether for or against law enforcement — might try to disrupt the Imagine Roseville discussion.

Some 200 residents turned out October 4 for Imagine Roseville: Community, Policing and Race in Roseville, the first in a series of discussions prompted by a fatal police shooting in the neighboring community of Falcon Heights, Minnesota.

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“In the end, we decided we’re just going to go ahead and it’s going to be a community event,” recalls Newby. “If the anti-cop protestors are going to show up, then they can and if the pro-cop protestors want to show up, they can as well. But, we are going to focus this as a community event, not sponsored or opposed by anyone.”

Roseville advertised the event on social media, in the local newspaper, and on flyers posted at city hall and at the library. Citizens were asked to RSVP but only to gauge attendance — no one would be turned away.

On October 4, the city held its first Imagine Roseville: Community, Policing and Race in Roseville discussion, featuring a panel that included Newby; two area high school students; Molli Slade, a community health worker; and Metropolitan State University Professor Donald Eubanks. Nearly 200 people attended the inaugural event.

The Imagine Roseville discussion began with panel members sharing their reactions to the fatal shooting of Castile along with their concerns about racial profiling, especially in the case of African-American males. Offering the youth perspective, two female high school students talked about how the school administration needed to do a better job addressing racism and racial profiling.

Next, Roseville Police Chief Mathwig discussed the police department’s policy on use of force, including what happens during a police stop, how officers deal with use of force and when law enforcement is allowed to employ it.

Candid Discussions About Racial Profiling The highlight of the evening was during

the group discussions, where community members shared their responses to three questions. Each table had 30 minutes to discuss the following: 1. What was your reaction to the Philando Castile shooting and other recent events in the news?

2. What role do you think race plays in policing?

3. Who would be hurt or at risk without law enforcement?

Sentiments ranged from sadness and loss to fear and anger. At Newby’s table, the number of middle-aged and elderly white residents expressing concern about racial profiling and policing surprised him. “It was very heartening to me because the issue of race, racism and policing is a complicated one, and it won’t be solved unless everyone is involved,” he contends. “It can’t just be a black-people problem.”

While there were those who thought racial profiling and racism were very real issues, others expressed just the opposite.

These individuals, mostly older white citizens, stated that they didn’t believe racism existed within law enforcement and blamed the Black Lives Matter movement for hyping the shooting.

However, there were a good number of people in attendance — representing different ethnic, gender and age groups — who were scared by the incident and wanted to share their own experiences.

A white woman, for example, expressed her concerns for her biracial son’s safety.

According to Newby, she worried about her son going outside and being stopped by police, whereas she didn’t fear going out because she’s white.

Event organizers reserved the final 15 minutes for Q&A with the police chief.

Although, at times, the exchanges were confrontational, people remained respectful when discussing opposing viewpoints.

Roseville hosted its second Imagine Roseville discussion, which built on the

first event, on December 1. Although only about 75 people attended, the discussions were more intimate and just as engaging.

“There were people who were sitting at tables just talking about their experiences and feelings, and it really brought people together as a community,” he explains.

Don’t be Afraid — Go for It Overall, Newby believes the Imagine Roseville events have made a significant impact on residents and law enforcement.

“Anytime you get members of a community together to talk about important events, air their differences, grievances or whatever it is, that simple act alone makes people feel better,” says Newby. “They feel like they’ve been heard and feel the city is trying to do something.”

For other communities that want to create an event similar to Imagine Rose-

ville, Newby says, “Don’t be afraid to do it, but don’t make it so formal or rigid that people feel there’s an agenda that’s being advanced.” He adds that when a person is just standing at a podium speaking, it’s easy for the audience to yell at the person while remaining anonymous.

“I think anonymity allows people to release that anger in an unproductive way,” notes Newby, “whereas, being at a table with someone right next to you with cookies and coffee makes it much more difficult to release that kind of anger and venom — and you actually have more of a discussion.”

Note: Video and notes from the first Imagine Roseville discussion can be found at www. cityofroseville.com/3045/Imagine-Roseville.

Vitisia Paynich is a Freelance Writer for Parks and Recreation magazine.

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TAI CHI THE GATEWAY TO ACTIVE SENIORS

By Sallie Thoreson, MS, and Maureen Hart, ACSM EP-C

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ildred is 79 years old. She considers herself to be active. She drives her own car, attends church and occasionally attends bingo at the local senior center. She knows she should exercise more and she is worried about falling, but the Silver Sneakers class at the rec center seems too vigorous. Her friend Bonnie suggested she take something called Tai Chi: Moving for Better Balance. Mildred has heard about Tai Chi being easy and slow exercise and she already knows two ladies taking the class. When she mentions it to her doctor, she says it’s a great idea. So Mildred apprehensively enrolls in the next 12-week class at the recreation center.

Public health officials at the federal, state and local levels see older adult wellness as an important goal, and park and recreation departments are a natural partner for state health departments focused on preventing injuries and promoting wellness for this segment of the population. We all envision a community where everyone, including older adults, is active, and park and recreation departments are a key place to address fitness and wellness for all ages. The prevention of older adult falls is an important part of the wellness picture. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the

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Administration for Community Living (ACL) are federal agencies promoting the public health involvement in older adult fall prevention.

Among older adults in the United States, falls are a leading cause of fatal and nonfatal injuries. Hospital costs associated with injuries sustained by falls account for a significant share of healthcare dollars spent on injury-related care. For example, in 2015 in the state of Colorado, 728 residents ages 65 and older died from fall-related injuries and almost 29,000 fall-related injuries were treated at hospitals and emergency departments. In 2014, among Colorado

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residents ages 65 and older, the projected lifetime costs associated with fall-related injuries were estimated at $738 million for medical and work-loss costs combined. That year, an estimated 27.1 percent of Colorado adults ages 65 and older reported having fallen in the past 12 months, and 34.9 percent of those who fell reported a fall-related injury.

Even if older adults have not fallen, the fear of falling — a fear for an estimated 29 to 77 percent of older adults — can keep them from being active. This leads to functional decline, as the older adult is not motivated to exercise or be more involved in the community, which in turn leads to self-imposed activity restrictions. This is truly one of those times when “use it or lose it” applies.

In order to prescribe and implement specific exercises that lead to fall prevention, an understanding of two key components is paramount: What exactly is fall prevention and how does Tai Chi lead to fall prevention?

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ACTIVE SENIORS

Balance Is More Than Standing on One Leg Ask most seniors walking into a fall prevention class why they believe the class is needed and the answer usually given is, “I can’t stand on one leg...my balance is terrible.” Standing on one leg and balance are a single point on a continuum with stability on one end and mobility on the other end. Every step taken requires the ability to stand on one leg for a very brief moment. When the ability to stabilize degrades, the other end of the continuum, mobility, also degrades. Poor stabilization leads to changes in gait that further impairs mobility.

The S.A.I.D. Principle — specific adaptation to imposed demand — should guide exercise training designs. If you want to improve the ability not to lose your balance resulting in a fall, you have to “practice falling.” It is just like learning to swim. At some point you have to get in the water.

The building blocks of fall prevention are knee, hip and ankle flexion and strong spine and abdominal muscles. Toe lifts and inline walking are also key elements.

Know Your Place in Space Being aware of where you are in space and anticipating, reacting to and compensating for changes to that space are at the heart of stability and mobility training. Thus, establishing a deep awareness of one’s Base of Support and training the body to prepare and react to changes in your Center of Gravity are paramount. “Proprioception” is the ability of the body to sense where it is in space. Balance training must address all three triggers of proprioception: visual, inner ear (vestibular) and nerves/ muscles. Strengthening muscles specific to preventing falls with a profound inner focus and an emphasis on timing and appropriate speed may seem overwhelming and complex, especially with an at-risk population. Falling is not an inevitable consequence of aging. Exercise, especially programs designed to reduce falls, 34 Parks & Recreation

is just what the older adult needs. Fortunately, there is an exercise practice that has been around for thousands of years with an extensive research foundation supporting it as a proven fall-prevention protocol. It is called Tai Chi. Tai Chi for Fall Prevention Offering one or more Tai Chi classes is a way to address fall prevention that is within the possibility of all park and recreation departments. Evidence-based fall prevention in the public health world means a specific program that has strong research showing that program participants have improved outcomes compared to those who don’t participate.

To be effective, evidence-based, fall-prevention programs need to offer older adults progressive challenges to balance and gait, built on an established curriculum, in a safe environment with lower class size and with chairs available to provide initial confidence. Specially designed Tai Chi classes for older adult fall prevention fit this bill. As one example, Tai Chi: Moving for Better Balance program, research showed older adult participants in Tai Chi classes had fewer falls and fewer fall injuries, and their risk of multiple falls was decreased 55 percent. There are other studies linking Tai Chi to fall prevention.

Tai Chi is a set of exercises, known as forms, that are performed in a slow, controlled manner with a deep inner awareness of using the body in a holistic way, applying controlled breathing as its “tempo.” It demands continuous movement as it requires a constant shifting of weight, which improves both stability and mobility and triggers a mindfulness of one’s base of support and changing center of gravity. In addition, Tai Chi incorporates both asymmetrical and diagonal arm-leg movements and promotes arm swing and rotation at the waist, all critical components of gait function. This low-impact exercise puts minimal stress on joints, making it a low-risk, appropriate exercise for seniors. Participants

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learn the sequence of the moves while improving their posture, control of their body in space and symmetry of motion.

Other Benefits of Tai Chi Park and recreation facilities can position themselves ahead of the curve of changing population demographics when they implement programming to address both functional and cognitive improvements in terms of fitness. Aside from being an evidenced-based exercise for fall prevention, Tai Chi is functional, therapeutic and sustainable. Its cognitive benefits include significant focus and spatial-temporal orientation. Memory, both in terms of the sequencing of movements and specific execution of the forms, is developed. Executive functioning in addition to full body movements and postural demands blend both physical and mental development. Other benefits of Tai Chi include calmness, better reach, functional mobility, enhanced mental ability and socialization. This is whole-body training in a very pure sense.

Mildred appreciated that her instructor had everyone start the class seated in chairs. She felt comfortable and, in a few weeks, moved to a standing position with a chair available for support. She was delighted she could go at her own pace. Learning the moves was a challenge but, each week, she felt her legs growing stronger and her confidence increasing.

Colorado Success Story To address the priority issue of older adult fall prevention, the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment chose Tai Chi: Moving for Better Balance (TCMBB), a 12-week, twice-aweek exercise program targeted to older adults at risk for falling. Starting in 2012, the state arranged for an instructor training program and assisted local facilities in setting up a class schedule that worked within the facilities’ programming schedule. Maureen Hart, who served as the trainer for Colorado’s Tai Chi instructors, emphasized it’s not about instructors hav-

ing to become Tai Chi Masters, but rather, learning how to teach the Tai Chi moves to older adults in the ways that improve their balance, walking and confidence.

It was easy to add older adult Tai Chi programming to the repertoire of classes already being offered at local parks and recreation facilities. In Colorado, the Tai Chi: Moving for Better Balance program now is embedded in the schedules of 17 park and recreation facilities and YMCAs, six hospital trauma or wellness centers, and six other community organizations. Eighty classes have been held and have reached more than 1,200 older adults. In particular, the park and recreation departments find the program not only meets the fall-prevention goals of the older adults, but it also has become a “gateway” for them to participate in more exercise and strength training programs.

Organizations find it fits their emphasis on developing programs for the growing older population and on becoming more involved in evidence-based programming and working with clinical partners.

Mildred finished her 12-week Tai Chi class and was surprised at how good she felt. She started to carpool with two ladies she met in the class, signed up for a Silver Sneakers class and is walking more in her neighborhood. She has invited a friend to join her at the rec center for the next Tai Chi class.

There are several ways park and recreation departments in Colorado feature their Tai Chi classes. In one model, recreation centers offer the class as a “freebie” to those who have Silver Sneaker or monthly memberships. Sometimes, the initial offering of TCMBB may be free, while people try out the class. A second model offers Tai Chi as a specialty class, requiring an extra fee. This can be more difficult to sell to the clients, but good marketing helps older adults understand the great benefits of this class and the need for specially trained instructors. The experience in Colorado is that it is not difficult to fill the class, once word spreads.

Many older adults stay in the Tai Chi

class, whereas others are now comfortable enough to take other classes and explore all the facility has to offer. Colorado park and recreation districts, from Bennett (older adult population of 2,400) to large facilities in the Denver Metro area, have found ways to incorporate Tai Chi classes into their regular schedule. It takes creative programming to find the right time of day and seasons to offer the class, enthusiastic instructors to keep participants motivated and marketing to draw in new members and keep regular members engaged. Some centers offer the class on a drop-in basis during the slower summer season and then re-engage with the regularly scheduled twicea-week classes for the recommended three-month period. Recreation centers may promote the class through demonstrations, stressing the social aspects to keep older adults attending the sessions and even offering incentives like T-shirts.

Conclusion Park and recreation departments are poised to handle the growing older adult population. The concentration on programs for young people and active 24–55 year olds has worked well, as those groups have dominated the age profile. However, the number of older adults is growing rapidly, led by baby boomers. By 2030, one in every five Americans will be 65 years or older, and AARP, Inc., estimates that in many states

the numbers of seniors will equal or excel the number of school-age children.

Recreation centers and parks will be a desired resource: ease of use — a short car ride or public transportation to their local recreation center — being one of the main reasons. Park and recreation departments also can provide a good financial deal to older adults who may be on a fixed income and may not be able to afford private gym memberships in unfamiliar surroundings. A 2012 Gallup Poll reported only 38 percent of adults in “pre-retirement” say they have enough money to live comfortably when they retire.

By addressing the public health need to reduce falls, older adults will be encouraged to sign up for exercise programs or visit a local center. And, savvy older adults are looking for those programs designed for their specific needs. They may not want hot yoga or Boot Camp, but they want to be challenged with safe classes designed for them — where they can socialize, get fit and remain injury free!

Detailed references can be found at www. parksandrecreation.org/2017/January/TaiChi-the-Gateway-to-Active-Seniors.

Sallie Thoreson, MS, is an Injury Prevention Coordinator at the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment (sallie.thoreson@state. co.us). Maureen Hart, ACSM EP-C, is a Master Trainer for Moving for Better Balance and an Instructor at the APEX Park and Recreation Center in Arvada, Colorado (mmccchart@gmail.com).

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Older Adults Exploring their changing demographics and health outlook

By M. Jean Keller

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enior centers have been operating in the United States for nearly 75 years. The first center was introduced in New York City in 1943 to help older adults remain in their community by offering educational and recreational programs along with case management services. The Older Americans Act (OAA) of 1965, which was reauthorized in 2016, funded early senior centers and, today, centers are recognized by the Administration on Aging (AoA) as one of the most widely used services among older Americans.

The National Council on Aging (NCOA) estimates 11,400 senior centers serve more than 1 million older adults every day. While there are many ways to define senior centers, for purposes of this article they will be defined as a community focal point, under the direction of municipal parks and recreation departments, where older adults gather to fulfill many of their social, physical, emotional and intellectual needs and interests. Much like senior centers, older adults can be defined in numerous ways. For our purposes, they will be defined as Americans 60 years or older, unless specifically noted.

In coming years, with the older population increasing annually and with 69 percent of working Americans retiring before age 65, communities where park and recreation agencies host senior centers and programs will see increased

participation in municipal recreation, fitness and wellness programs. Are your senior adult facilities and services ready to meet the needs of this ever-expanding and changing older population? Let’s explore the demographics along with the health and wellness needs of this segment of the U.S. population.

Older Adults by the Numbers Research shows that the older adult segment of the population is diverse and very interested in health and wellness. Community recreation leaders need to be aware of the diversity among older adults in their communities to effectively serve them. The following statistics demonstrate that diversity with regard to income, education, employment status as well as race and ethnicity.

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O L D E R A D U LT S

According to the AoA, since 2004, the number of Americans 65 and older has increased by 10 million and, as of 2015, stands at 46 million. In that same period, the number of Americans 60 years and older increased 33 percent, from 49 to 65 million, respectively, and is projected to reach 98 million by 2040. This older population is itself increasingly older. In 2014, the 65–74 age group (26 million) was more than 12 times larger than it was in 1900, the 75–84 group (14 million) was more than 17 times larger and the 85+ group (6 million) was 50 times larger. Racial and ethnic minority older adult populations have also increased — from 6.5 million in 2004 to 10 million in 2014 (a 22 percent increase) — and are projected to reach 21 million by 2030. Between 2014 and 2030, the white (non-Hispanic) population 65 and over is projected to increase by 46 percent compared with 110 percent for older racial and ethnic minority populations, including Hispanics (137 percent), African-Americans (non-Hispanic) (90 percent), American Indian and Native Alaskans (non-Hispanic) (93 percent) and Asians (non-Hispanic) (104 percent).

Marital Status — In general, older men are much more likely to be married than older women (70 percent of men compared to 45 percent of women). In 2014, there were 26 million older women and 20 million older men, or a male to female ratio of 127 women for every 100 men. There are more than three times as many widows (9 million) as widowers (2 million), and in 2015, 15 percent of all older adults indicated they were divorced or separated. This percentage has increased since 1980, when approximately 5 percent of the older population was divorced or separated. Single older adults often have different recreation, health, and wellness needs and interests than those who are coupled. For example, on overnight trips, individuals may need help with roommates to keep rates reasonable if pricing is based on double 38 Parks & Recreation

occupancy. Today, the primary users of senior centers are single, well-educated, Caucasian females in their mid-70s.

Retirement — More than 50 percent of Americans ages 61 to 69 years have fully retired and about 15 percent is now finished with work. Among this group, according to the LIMRA Secure Retirement Institute, the presence of a traditional pension or retirement plan is often what separates those considered income-rich from those who are not.

Retired Americans receive $1.3 trillion in income, the vast majority of which comes from Social Security (42 percent) and traditional pension and retirement plans (30 percent). Traditional pensions remain fairly common for those over 75 years, according to LIMRA. Education — Along with their numbers, the educational level of the older population is increasing. Between 1970 and 2015, the percentage of older persons who had completed high school rose from 28 percent to 84 percent, but this percentage varied considerably by race and ethnic origin. In 2015, about 27 percent held a bachelor’s degree or higher, and education and income are positively correlated. In 2014, households containing families headed by persons 65 and over reported a median income of $54,838 and 35 percent of those households had incomes of $75,000 or higher.

However, that same year, more than 4.5 million people in this age range (10 percent) were reported to be living below the poverty level.

Health Outlook — According to AoA, between 2012 and 2014, 44 percent of community-dwelling older adults assessed their health as excellent or very good, with slightly more than 43 percent of 65–74 year olds and 27 percent of those 75-year-olds and older reporting that they engaged in regular leisure-time physical activity. Most have at least one chronic condition and many have multiple conditions. Among the most frequently occurring conditions mentioned

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were diagnosed arthritis (49 percent), all types of heart disease (30 percent), and cancer (24 percent), diagnosed diabetes (roughly 21 percent), and hypertension (high blood pressure or taking antihypertensive medication) (roughly 71 percent).

In addition, about 30 percent of older adults reported height/weight combinations that placed them among the obese.

For older adults, the average life expectancy is an additional 19 years (21 years for females and 18 years for males). A child born in 2014 could expect to live to be 79 years of age, about 30 years longer than a child born in 1900. Concerns have been raised about future increases in life expectancy in the United States compared to other high-income countries, primarily because of past smoking habits and current obesity levels, especially for women age 50 and over.

Older Adults’ Needs and Interests According to research conducted by the NCOA in 2015, older adults who participate in senior centers learn to manage and delay the onset of chronic disease and experience measureable improvement in their physical, social, spiritual, emotional and economic well-being. The majority of them also report receiving helpful information, lifelong learning, and acquiring new skills that contribute to their continued independence. A survey of 734 senior center participants from six states illustrated the important roles senior centers play in the physical and mental health of older adults. Twenty-five percent of those surveyed indicated they regularly felt down or depressed.

Yet, when engaged at a senior center, nearly half (46 percent) reported feeling less lonely, laughing more often (49 percent), having reduced levels of stress (48 percent), feeling more satisfied with life (43 percent) and having increased or started regularly exercising (40 percent).

Research also indicates social support is a key determinant of successful aging.

In this same study, more than 90 percent of the respondents indicated they devel-

oped close friendships at their senior centers and engaged in social activities both inside and outside of the centers. Single females in the study indicated that the senior centers offered opportunities for social interactions, friendships and the emotional support they lacked and that senior center participation successfully countered social isolation and loneliness.

Three key components of successful aging as identified by authors J.W. Rowe and R. L. Kahn are (1) low risk of disease and disease-related disability, (2) maintaining a high level of mental and physical functioning, and (3) active engagement with life. These overarching areas for successful aging are sound starting places to determine the needs and interests of community-dwelling older adults and today’s senior centers are challenged with designing recreation, wellness and fitness programs and services to meet their needs.

Four Service and Programming Models There are four models for senior center service and programming that should be considered to meet the needs of this highly diverse and growing population: café, technology, lifelong learning and fitness/wellness.

The café model is an updated, multipurpose center that has an inviting storefront. This concept is designed to welcome younger-older adults (age 50 and older) by starting with a cup of coffee or tea and once they’re in the door, offering them a menu of adventures that include entertainment, educational programs and wellness-related activities. This model has been shown to result in a 65 percent increase in community engagement and outreach and a 57 percent increase in participant involvement. It offers great opportunities for partnerships with community gardens and culinary and other academic programs at secondary or postsecondary educational institutions, libraries, businesses and intergenerational groups.

Some of the challenges in getting older adults to avail themselves of the services

and programs that are offered include lack of time and transportation and health barriers. In that case, the technology model may be the solution. Some centers offer telephone topics — daily calls where older adults listen to conversations and learn and share pertinent and beneficial information. Other centers have created virtual programs where interactive experiences can be shared just about anywhere. Senior centers often offer courses to expose older adults to new technology and software, as well as how to use them. It is likely this model will grow in the future.

The lifelong-learning model supports computer literacy, second career training, hobby development or expansion, travel, study groups, and volunteering and mentoring. Senior centers are responding to newly retired older adults’ needs with high-profile re-employment and civic engagement offices to support career transition and retirement-alternative lifestyles. Various art studios are being developed along with partnerships for volunteering and mentoring.

The fitness/wellness model in senior centers is expanding and focuses on six dimensions of wellness: emotional, spiritual, intellectual, social, physical and occupational. To every extent possible, senior centers are encouraged to use evidence-based programs to ensure that measurable outcomes are achieved in the various areas of health and wellness. For example, EnhanceFitness, developed by the University of Washington’s Health

Promotion Research Center, is a physical activity program for older adults that has served more than 60,000 older adults in 39 states and has been shown to improve health among participants. This program was supported by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The NCOA shares evidence-based programs to prevent falls. Multiple evidence-based programs that have been proven to help older adults reduce their risks of falling, such as A Matter of Balance, FallsTalk, FallScape, and Stepping On, are available for implementation in senior centers. Recreation agencies have established innovative partnerships with physical therapy clinics, hospitals and corporate wellness programs to expand their health and fitness programs and facilities to older adults.

Senior centers remain a community focal point for older adults. The challenge is how they will serve a changing and growing population with changing and growing needs and interests. Senior center leaders need to work to remain relevant to this changing population and provide meaningful, innovative and needed programs and services that are evidence-based and that will attract not only public and private partners but also older adults to their facilities.

Detailed references can be found at www. parksandrecreation.org/2017/January/ older-adults.

M. Jean Keller is a Professor in the Department of Kinesiology, Health Promotion and Recreation at the University of North Texas (jean.keller@unt.edu).

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NRPA Update Southwest Airlines and NRPA: Helping to Restore Monarch Habitat

By Lori Robertson

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s development and loss of greenspace continue across the country, various pollinator species are experiencing a devastating decline in the habitat that’s crucial to their survival. No species is under greater threat than the iconic monarch butterfly. Realizing that local parks are uniquely positioned to contribute to the national effort to save the threatened monarch butterfly, NRPA launched the Parks for Monarchs program in 2016 to support the creation of Monarch Waystations, the planting of milkweed and native plants and the education of the public through programming and interpretation — all within parks.

Thanks to Southwest Airlines, in 2016, five communities across the country received grants, through the Parks for Monarchs initiative, for park projects focused on improving and restoring habitat for pollinator species, specifically, the threatened monarch butterfly. In addition, Southwest Airlines demonstrated its commitment to these communities where its employees work and live by mobilizing employees in the hands-on execution of the individual Parks for Monarchs projects. Working alongside park agency professionals and community members, Southwest Airlines employees, their family and friends “dug in” during April’s Earth Month and pre-

pared gardens, planted pollinator flowers and shrubs, removed invasive plants and cleared trash and debris.

This collective work will have a significant impact on protecting and supporting the iconic monarch butterfly. By establishing new pollinator gardens that include milkweed plants, the following projects have created much needed habitat and breeding grounds that will allow monarch populations to recover and thrive: Park Pride, Atlanta, Georgia — Poncey Highland Community Garden in Freedom Park Southwest employees and members of

Southwest Airlines employees and City of Columbus (Ohio) Recreation and Park staff installed a new wildflower garden and completed a spring cleanup at the city's McKnight Outdoor Education Center.

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Park Pride, a local conservation nonprofit, turned a swath of hard Georgia clay into a large pollinator garden with a focus on attracting monarch butterflies. They successfully planted more than 150 pollinator plants.

Columbus, Ohio — McKnight Outdoor Education Center Southwest Airlines employees joined the City of Columbus Recreation and Park staff at McKnight Outdoor Education Center to install a new wildflower garden where they planted 750 milkweed and other nectar-producing plants. In addition, they worked together to complete a park spring cleanup by removing litter and invasive plants.

Indianapolis, Indiana — Southeastway Park Southwest Airlines employees helped to install thousands of dollars’ worth of plants for a monarch butterfly garden at Southeastway Park. Together with Southeastway Park staff, they planted more than 50 milkweed plants, plus additional pollinator plants such as yellow coneflower, ironweed, bee balm, smooth aster and New England aster. The garden contains more than 400 plants that will help monarch butterflies and countless other insects and native wildlife species.

St. Louis, Missouri — Riverfront Trail and Trojan Park Southwest Airlines employees and their family members were joined by Great Rivers Greenway employees and Greenway Guides to plant native shrubs and nectar plants, such as black

chokeberry, false indigo, and swamp milkweed, on the Riverfront Trail near downtown St. Louis. The new plants provide valuable nectar and pollen for pollinator species, including monarch butterflies, as well as improve the aesthetics of the greenway. In addition, Southwest Airlines sponsored pollinator gardens within Trojan Park in

Wellston, Missouri, as part of NRPA’s Parks Build Community annual park transformation project.

Nashville, Tennessee — Fort Negley Park The Friends of Negley Park volunteers and Southwest Airlines employees prepared the park’s butterfly gardens

for the planting of 1,000 native nectar plants. Southwest Airlines employees helped clear garden beds and dig more than 400 holes for the plants.

To learn more about the Parks for Monarchs initiative, visit www.nrpa. org/parks4monarchs/.

Lori Robertson is NRPA’s Director of Conservation (lrobertson@nrpa.org).

Member Spotlight: Stephanie Gailes

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or 20 years, Stephanie Gailes sat behind a desk at FedEx examining and preparing financial records as one of the company’s in-house accountants. Although Gailes knew she served a very important role at the time, she chose to leave to pursue a career in the nonprofit sector. Her path eventually led to grant writing and research. In July 2013, Gailes landed a job with the city of Memphis as grants administration specialist for its Parks and Neighborhoods division. What’s more, in February 2016, her efforts garnered Memphis the Active Living Every Day (ALED) grant from NRPA. Parks & Recreation magazine recently spoke with Gailes, who discussed the impact that the ALED grant has had on the city of Memphis and what makes her job the most gratifying.

Parks & Recreation magazine: Did you think grants administration was a good fit from the beginning?

Stephanie Gailes: The Division allowed me time to slowly ease into the position. I'm surrounded by personnel that love what they do. It was a little bit intimidating because it was a lot bigger than I thought — the division itself and the needs of the community and realizing the potential for supplementing our existing budget. I thought, ‘OK, I need to get my arms around the needs. This

is very impactful and it can change lives,’ — whereas before, I was just a preparer of financial records.

P&R: What did receiving the Active Living Every Day grant mean to the city of Memphis?

Gailes: The city of Memphis and the Division cannot thank NRPA enough for the advocacy that it does on behalf of municipalities and parks and recreation. I understand that ALED was piloted first in non-governmental settings, and that NRPA's partners wanted to see how it would work in a park and recs setting. We just want to thank NRPA for choosing Memphis as one of the four municipalities to pilot this evidence-based program. We benefit from offering those types of programs in our facilities and promoting them to our senior population.

P&R: What progress has been made with this ALED resource?

Gailes: By ALED having an evaluation component and defined measurable outcomes, our seniors have had a great time trying to meet the physical activity goals.

We had our finale on November 22. It was a celebration and a graduation, with a majority of the ALED seniors participating.

The camaraderie they had during that threemonth period has built relationships that are going to last.

P&R: What do you enjoy most about serving the community?

Gailes: I love supporting the goals, ideas and dreams of others. That was the role I served as an accountant and it is the role I now serve for the city of Memphis. When looking at a city budget, [parks and recreation] may not always be one of the divisions at the top of the list receiving a majority of the allocated dollars. However, our administration makes the connection of how park programs and infrastructure — whether it’s a community center, tennis court, swimming pool, etc. — are a part of the solution to addressing the city's challenges. I look forward to contributing to the solutions that better serve the citizens of Memphis through parks and recreation.

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NRPA Update

The ‘Why’ for the National Gold Medal Award

By Mary Beth Thaman

W

hy should my agency apply for the National Gold Medal Award?

The answer is in the “why.” The National Gold Medal for Excellence in Park and Recreation Management is really not an award. It provides a set of standards that differentiates organizations that employ a system-wide approach to their delivery of services from those organizations that operate by “checking off ” a list of documents or that operate from a historical framework. In essence the National Gold Medal Award

program is a movement for organizations to challenge their status quo and to approach their service delivery through innovation, collaboration and creativity.

This award recognizes agencies that have imbedded their vision and mission into the fabric of their organization’s operation and strive to accomplish things that exceed their customers’ expectations. It identifies organizations that focus on customer loyalty and that approach service delivery with consistency and an established trust with their customers and staff. For examples

of these agencies, one need only look at the 2016 Grand Award Winners: • Class I – Cleveland Metroparks, Ohio • Class II – Town of Cary Parks, Recreation & Cultural Resources, North Carolina • Class III – City of Allen Parks and Recreation Department, Texas • Class IV – Willamalane Park and Recreation District, Oregon • Class V – Frankfort Square Park District, Illinois • Armed Forces – U.S. Coast Guard Base Kodiak Morale, Well-Being and Recreation Division, Alaska So, “why” should your agency apply?

Review the quick reference list below and if just one of these points resonates with you and your organization, consider becoming part of the National Gold Medal movement.

Challenging the status quo: Does your agency strive to be better today than yesterday? Applying for a Gold Medal will challenge you to look at its plans, partners, strategic initiatives and results.

Creating an agency that does it differently: Does your agency recognize and employ multiple solutions to issues and challenges?

Using influence to impact change: Does your agency focus on using its fiscal and personnel resources to address broad community needs?

Celebrating innovation and collaboration: Does your agency deploy methods to connect with a variety of disciplines and partners to create a new way of approaching service?

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Inspiring and leading people: Does your agency “live” its values, and does it embrace creating an enthusiastic, energetic and forward-thinking work environment?

Translating the vision into action: Does your agency continually assess its vision and how well it is moving toward it?

Demonstrating that the intangible can become tangible: Does your agency tie programs, services and resources to the achievement of its vision?

Designing for the future with a focus on the “why”: Does your agency stay true to its “why”?

If you answered “yes” to any of those questions, your agency is poised to be-

come part of a movement of change.

The National Gold Medal Award program is a partnership between the American Academy for Park & Recreation Administration (AAPRA) and the National Recreation and Park Association (NRPA). The Gold Medal program is managed by a committee that consists of AAPRA members under the direction of the AAPRA executive director. There are a total of five Gold Medal Award judges who serve for four years and represent the diversity of the profession. The Gold Medal Award program is sponsored by Musco Lighting.

Mary Beth Thaman is Director of the City of Kettering, Ohio Parks, Recreation and Cultural Arts Department and Gold Medal Committee Chair (marybeth.thaman@ketteringoh.org).

Important 2017 Gold Medal Dates • January 3: Application available at www.nrpa.org/our-work/ awards/ • February 9: NRPA Gold Medal web chat • March 12: Application and required materials due by midnight Eastern Time • April 28: Notification to finalists and all applicants • June 5: Finalists post short video on agency website For more information, visit: www. nrpa.org/our-work/awards/ goldmedal/.

Award Season is Here Now accepting submissions for Gold Medal Awards, National Awards and the Hall of Fame.

www.nrpa.org/Awards

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NRPA Update

CPRP Certification: The Key to Career Advancement

By Seve Ghose, CPRE/MOL

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he Certified Park and Recreation Professional (CPRP) certification, an essential piece of a park and recreation professional’s career development, opens doors to career advancement, provides a sense of personal pride and accomplishment, and, overall, helps to raise the level of efficiency of the agency with which you are employed. While agency director in Davenport, Iowa, from 2008 to 2013, I provided staff with the opportunity to become certified, and at one point, 10 out of 40 full-time staff (25 percent) was CPRP certified. Providing this opportunity also unintentionally created a friendly competition among the staff to

see who would become certified first.

In Louisville, Kentucky, where I’m currently the director, we are in the process of annually certifying at least 10 staff for the next three years. We are a large department with more than 300 full-time staff, and in the annual strategic planning process, the team members from various levels of the agency chose to make this a priority. It has definitely brought a sense of wanting to be certified and created a higher level of buy-in from staff in the quality of services and how we deliver them to the community. Our administrative goal is to be the agency in the United States with the most certified staff by 2018.

HELPING AGENCIES GROW since 1965

MARCH 12-17, 2017 WWW.NRPA.ORG/REVENUE-SCHOOL

Oglebay Resort and Conference Center Wheeling, West Virginia

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Having also served on the committee that wrote the initial Certified Park and Recreation Executive (CPRE) exam four years ago, it personally gives me great pleasure to see more and more professionals becoming certified. If cost is an issue, NRPA offers deep discounts for multiple test takers from an agency.

NRPA places a high value on all the certification programs currently in place, and the CPRP is the jumping-off point to greater career advancement in the field. For more information, visit www. nrpa.org/certification/CPRP/.

Seve Ghose, CPRE/MOL, is the Director, Louisville Metro Parks and Recreation (seve.ghose@louisvilleky.gov).

this holiday season

TREAT YOurSELF Become a certified park and recreation professional (CPRP) to advance your career

GET A FREE CPRP PREP COURSE ($100 VALUE) when you apply to take the CPRP Exam Offer valid through February 28, 2017

To learn more, visit www.nrpa.org/CPRP-Present

NRPA Update

Get Your Photography On!

W

e’re putting the July cover of Parks & Recreation back in your hands!

Round up your top photos and get ready to submit them for the 2017 Park and Recreation Month Cover Contest. We’re looking for photos that tell a great story about play and adventure for all people and all ages.

Entries will be accepted now through March 31, 2017. NRPA will choose a series of finalists based on how well they meet the criteria by April 19. All finalist photos will be put to a public vote May 22–26 on Facebook. The photo with the most social power (likes) will be chosen for the coveted cover spot!

When considering which photo to submit, keep these tips in mind:

• Submit a photo with an interesting and compelling story behind it or one that represents Get Your Play On! • Submit a photo that includes people in it.

• Submissions must be high-resolution (at a minimum of 300 dpi) and at least 8.5 inches wide by 11 inches tall.

• Consider how the Parks & Recreation logo will fit over your photo.

Submit your photos at www.nrpa. org/cover-contest.

Call for NRPA Board of Directors Nominations

H

ave you ever thought about being a board member or know someone you think would excel as one? NRPA

46 Parks & Recreation

is looking for both professional and citizen leaders who are passionate about parks, recreation and environmental conservation. Candidates should be

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active leaders who wish to further the mission of the association and who have demonstrated talent and expertise in the field or in their community.

NRPA values and seeks diverse leadership as defined by race, ethnicity, gender, religion, age, sexual orientation, nationality, disability, appearance and geographic location. We also encourage all types and sizes of park and recreation organizations.

For more information and to apply, go online to www.nrpa.org/AboutNational-Recreation-and-Park-Association/leadership/Completed. Applications must be submitted or datestamped by February 17, 2017. If you are interested in serving, know someone who is or have questions about the nomination process, please email Michele White at mwhite@nrpa.org or call 703.858.2144.

Parks & Recreation Crossword 1

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2 No vote Across 3 Hardwood tree with red berries 1 NRPA’s crowdfunding platform for park and 4 Website symbol recreation agencies, 3 words 5 Pooch with a wrinkly face 7 Urban ____, revitalizing a city’s concrete 6 Across 6 Plants that grow in marshy areas jungle, for example 8 Very long time 10 Environmentally color 1 NRPA'sfriendly 8 crowdfunding platform for park and 9 Stomach muscles 13 Payable 14 Addsrecreation plants and treesagencies, to a space 3 words 11 Continent of Madrid and Paris, abbr. 9 12 Volleyball obstacle 20 Dawn time 7 Urban ____, revitalizing a city's concrete jungle, 11 15 Two-man operation 21 Important parks workforce 16 Golf group, for example for example 26 School transport 12 17 Dogs and cats 27 Roman 12 10 Environmentally friendly color 18 Sleep out under the night sky 28 NRPA produces education and ____ 15 19 Animation initiatives to enrich the communities served 13 Payable 22 Hazel or cashew 16 30 Location 23 Go into unknown territory Addsopen plants trees to a space 3214 Protecting spaces,and connecting 17 24 Area of land children to nature and preserving natural 25 Places a new tree in the ground, for 20 Dawn time resources 18 example 3621 InsectImportant that is a symbol of industry parks workforce 29 How we want our air and water 19 37 Manage 31 It was used in the past for navigation 3926 Conifer secretiontransport School 22 32 SUV or hybrid 40 Rain ____, planted depressions that slow 33 Low number 27filterRoman 12 and runoff water 23 34 Chill (out) 28 NRPA produces education and ____Teresa, initiatives Down 35 Mother for one to 24 1 Terrarium plant 38 Initials of a Canadian province

Plants that grow in marshy areas Very long time Stomach muscles Continent of Madrid and Paris, abbr.

Volleyball obstacle Two-man operation Golf group, for example Dogs and cats Sleep out under the night sky Animation Hazel or cashew Go into unknown territory Area of land enrich the communities served 25 Places a newyou tree thea drawing ground, for examp Check the answers to the crossword at www.nrpa.org/crossword. As an added bonus for completing the crossword, canin enter to win 30 Location an “I’m a Park and Rec Kid” Build-A-Bear when you check your answers. A winner will be randomly selectedwe and want notified our on January 31, 2017.

29 How air and water 32 Protecting open spaces, connecting chuldren to 31 It was used in the past for navigation

W W W . P A R K S A N D R E C R E A T I O N . O R G | J A N U A R Y 2 0 1 7 | Parks & Recreation 47 nature and preserving natural resources 32 SUV or hybrid 36 Insect that is a symbol of industry

NRPA Update

Hot Topics

It’s a new year and time for new ideas!

Need some inspiration? Visit NRPA Connect! Connect is the only professional networking platform dedicated to the park and recreation profession. Below are some of the latest topics being discussed: Daddy–Daughter Dance: Does your agency host a daddy–daughter dance? While events like this are extremely popular, members are looking for ideas that are inclusive for all family members. Read this discussion for alternatives, including, mother–son bowling night, family ball, family fishing tournament and more!

Geocaching: Geocaching is a modern-day treasure hunt that brings people to your parks. NRPA members are looking for guidance regarding patrons planting caches along their trails.

How can you support this unique activity that encourages people to explore the outdoors, while keeping the public safe and the caches out of sensitive areas?

Volunteer Ideas for Passive Natural Resource-Based Park System: A natural resource-based department is looking for ideas to keep volunteers engaged. What activities do you offer to volunteers when you do not have ball fields, swimming pools or recreation centers? Honeysuckle removal, trail ambassador programs, seed collecting and wildlife surveys are just a few!

Active Net and Recreation Programs: Recreation software is always a hot topic. Even with the latest software, is it still necessary to develop a hard copy recreation guide? Professionals weigh in on the pros and cons of distributing a printed program guide.

Want to share your ideas? Log into NRPA Connect at www.nrpaconnect.org/ home today!

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Save with NRPA-Sponsored Insurance Plans

R

esearch has shown that sports provide compounding benefits for active children, as well as the ability to combat the growing problem of obesity across all ages in the United States. The Physical Activity Council’s annual study found that, overall, participation in sports, fitness and related physical activity increased in 2015. Also, team sport involvement increased among individuals ages 6 and up. Greater participation means greater insurance exposures and liabilities.

To guard your sports program, it is important to find coverage for its unique needs.

(Source: Safe Kids Worldwide, National Safety Council)

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48 Parks & Recreation

Participant Injury Is Your Problem: • 1.35 Million – Number of youths (age 6 to 19) that suffered a serious sports injury from 2001 to 2012 • 1 in 5 – One-fifth of children who visit the ER for treatment of an injury are there for an injury caused by a sport • $935 Million – Annual cost of medical treatment for sports-related ER injuries for kids ages 6 to 19 • 533,509 – Number of people who suffered injuries while playing basketball in 2013

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NRPA Sponsors the Following Insurance Programs: • Team Sports Combined Liability & Accident Insurance • Football Combined Liability & Accident Insurance • Instructors & Interns Liability Insurance • Blanket Accidents Insurance • Equipment Property Program • Directors’ & Officers’ Liability Insurance Programs NRPA-sponsored insurance programs are made possible by K&K. For applications and brochures, visit www.nrpainsurance.com/ sites/nrpa/Pages/InsuranceCoverages.aspx.

Email NRPA Membership Programs Manager Hayley Herzing at hherzing@nrpa.org if you have any questions.

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.

REVENUE PRODUCTION AND DEVELOPMENT Experience the highest level of practical and academic instruction that develops professional leadership for revenue production and development in park and recreation operation at the 2017 Revenue Development and Management School, March 12-17, 2017. Instructors, who are subject matter experts in all aspects of revenue producing park and recreation operations, will expose participants to new technologies and management tools to help them establish a more efficient and effective administration. 2017 attendees will enjoy a revamped curriculum, exploring topics such as purchasing, budgeting, sponsorships, pricing and consumer trends, to name a few. Be sure to register early, as registration fills up quickly once the new year begins. For more information and to register, visit www.nrpa.org/revenue-school, today.

SCHOOLS AND CONFERENCES All NRPA Schools are held at Oglebay Resort in Wheeling, West Virginia, unless otherwise noted.

January 29 - February 3, 2017

March 12-17, 2017

August 27-September 1, 2017

September 26-28, 2017 New Orleans, Louisiana

www.nrpa.org/education

Wilmington, Delaware Little Rock, Arkansas Seattle, Washington Auburn, Alabama Canton, Michigan Westerville, Ohio Tullahoma, Tennessee Derby, Kansas Ashburn, Virginia Margate, Florida Cheney, Washington Anaheim, California

www.nrpa.org/AFO

CPSI PROGRAM FEB

1-2 2-3 6-7 9-10 9-10 9-10 14-15 15-16 15-16 23-24 29-31 30-31

Phoenix, Arizona Memphis, Tennessee Stuart, Florida San Antonio, Texas Castro Valley, California Okinawa, Japan Hershey, Pennsylvania Sarasota, Florida Irving, Texas Hartford, Connecticut

22-24 28-March 2

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Ashburn, Virginia Overland Park, Kansas Noblesville, Indiana Roseville, Minnesota Phoenix, Arizona Bismarck, North Dakota Winter Park, Florida St. Charles, Missouri Auburn, Washington Newport News, Virginia

APR

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Columbia, Tennessee Sacramento, California

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East Hartford, Connecticut South Burlington, Vermont Sioux Falls, South Dakota Post Falls, Idaho Lakewood, California Troy, Michigan

www.nrpa.org/CPSI

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Operations Reintroducing the Game of Golf Is school P.E. and little league golf in neighborhood parks the answer?

By John R. Johnson

In today’s ESPN world, a child choses his or her sports by age 8, 9 or 10. If we don’t introduce golf before then, we will simply lose them to other sports. We have to get into the parks where the kids and parents are. —Jack Nicklaus How could one of the most storied and historic sports in the world suddenly be out of favor and heading toward collapse? By some accounts, the statistics show that golf participation is down 20–30 percent from the high-water mark of slightly more than 30 million players to somewhere near 20–23 million cur-

rent active golfers today. This decrease in participation is across all ages, with the exception of seniors; however, it is especially evident in the 34-and-younger age groups (see chart on page 51).

The world of sports is changing. Not the sports themselves, but how we are introduced to them, fall in love with

them and what dynamic allows us to participate in them. Virtually every sport in the world — except golf — follows the three steps below.

Golf skips No. 1 and No. 2 and tries to go directly to No. 3 on the golf course, and the statistics show that this method is failing. Golf great Jack Nicklaus knows a thing or two about both golf and kids. He has 22 grandkids who all play sports, but only two play golf. They were all introduced to sports in P.E. and park leagues and that is how they fell in love with other sports instead of golf.

Teach the Sport to ALL in School P.E. Classes Grades K-12

Photos Courtesy of SNAG Golf

Use Parks for Age– & Skill–Specific Leagues for All

Starting New at Golf (SNAG) is a modified version of golf, designed to teach kids the basics of the game in any open space, like a gym, soccer field or park.

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Cultivate Top Players Who “Graduate” to Full-Sized Competition

PARTICIPATION BY AGE Then and Now (% of population) 14.5

Early 1990s

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Golf is an industry that MUST step into the organized sport arena. Thirty-five million kids (ages 5–18) play an organized sport — 85 percent of them are coached by a dad or mom. If you look at the huge drop of “golfers under 34 years old” statistic, it means that we have currently lost a generation in the golfing population. Furthermore, those new parents who are under 34 years old and do not golf are not going to suddenly start teaching their kids to golf.

Instead, they will teach and coach their children to play soccer, baseball, lacrosse, tennis or similar sports that they themselves played as youngsters in their neighborhood parks. And, the game will likely lose another generation.

So, how are we going to introduce golf to our youth? By adapting it like every other sport and putting it in school P.E. classes and moving it into neighborhood park little leagues (with the shirts, hats, snacks and the usual paraphernalia), which then matriculates young golfers and families with skills and passion onto actual golf

+ 3%

Kids as young as 5 years can be introduced to golf through SNAG.

65 +

course play. It is imperative that we restart the cycle of introduction to golf and learning how to play golf by using today’s methods of organized sports.

We all know we cannot safely tee up a Titleist in a school gymnasium or even a public park — fun perhaps, but inherently dangerous. So, just like baseball has T-ball and soccer has smaller balls and tiny goals, golf can be adapted. And, there already is a modified, adapted version being used today to teach kids the basics of golf in a safe and educationally certified method, indoors or out. It is called SNAG (Starting New At Golf).

SNAG, designed by three educational Ph.D.s and an ex-PGA Tour player, is a great first-touch and developmentally sound method to safely teach golf to beginners. Golfers, PGA pros, First Tee and entire PGA Sections, such as the Midwest PGA’s SNAG-A School programs, are seeing results with it, and it’s already in more than 10,000 schools and 42 countries worldwide. No special fields are

required as any open space like a gym, soccer field or park is perfect to play and practice SNAG. The above ground target or “Flagsticky” and the tennis-like ball have Velcro on them so the ball sticks to the target. The ball is always teed-up on a rubber pad so there is no agronomic or floor damage. Full swing, the ball will travel around 35–50 yards, a chip and a putt and it’s off to the next hole.

Times have changed, and the game of golf needs to follow what every other sport does to grow their players and adapt the sport to the children. We are not going to get Millennials to suddenly start golfing; however, we can get to the Millennials’ kids, and those kids will bring the parents in just like they did with soccer moms. With the proper management and a change in the paradigm of how we introduce golf at a young age, we can and will grow more golfers in the future.

John R. Johnson is Vice President of SNAG Player Development (j2@snaggolf.com).

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Products Stand-On Aerator

Solar Lighting

Turfco’s patent-pending TurnAer XT8 stand-on aerator was developed to provide a solution to turf care professionals who want to increase aeration productivity while minimizing downtime. The XT8 is designed to be nimble and fast. It can cover more than 2 acres in an hour, with zero-turn agility and intuitive controls that allow operators to easily handle residential, commercial and sports turf. The XT8 also offers an aeration speed of up to 7 mph, a 30-inch aerating width that can still fit through a 48-inch gate and raised ground clearance to get over most curbs. TURFCO, 800.679.8201, WWW.TURFCO.COM

Gama Sonic USA, founded in 1985, provides solar lighting products for homes and businesses, with more than thousands of products installed worldwide. The company develops, manufactures and markets consumer and commercial/ industrial-grade solar-powered, energy-efficient custom lighting solutions for a wide range of applications. Gama Sonic is well-suited to meet the outdoor lighting needs of parks and campgrounds.

GAMA SONIC USA, 800.835.4113, WWW.GAMASONIC.COM

Lawn Mower The BlackHawk HP by Dixie Chopper is available with up to 23.5 horsepower Kawasaki and 25 horsepower Kohler® EFI engine options and 48-, 54- and 60-inch decks. Full control is at your fingertips with the BlackHawk HP’s InCommand™ console, featuring a “Soft Start” keyless ignition for easier clutch engagement. The BlackHawk HP comes standard with a foot-operated OCDC (operator controlled discharge chute), which allows the operator to keep both hands on the steering levers while blocking the chute on the fly. DIXIE CHOPPER, 765.246.7737, WWW.DIXIECHOPPER.COM

Stainless Steel Campfire Ring The new stainless steel campfire rings from Pilot Rock are the perfect site enhancement for waterfronts and beaches where water and humidity can corrode carbon steel. These 30-inch diameter fire rings offer five side heights, including wheelchair-accessible designs. Choose a stainless steel fire ring with the swivel cooking grate to prepare hot food and drinks, or choose no grate for just the campfire. Pilot Rock Park Equipment is designed and manufactured in the United States

by R.J. Thomas Mfg. Co. Inc., Cherokee, Iowa, since 1959. PILOT ROCK, 800.762.5002, WWW.PILOTROCK.COM

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| J A N UA R Y 2 0 1 7 | W W W. PA R K S A N D R E C R E AT I O N . O R G

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Request free information from the manufacturers of the products found in this issue.

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Email________________________________________________________________

Name__________________________________________________________________________________ Phone__________________________ Address________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ City_________________________________________________State________________ZIP___________________________________________ In the new year, what will be a major focus for your agency?_____________________________________________________________________ Please email your answers to kongstad@nrpa.org.

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YES! I would like free product information!

Check the product(s)/company(ies) that you would like information from:

ATHLETIC/EXERCISE EQUIPMENT Go Ape.......................................53 415.553.0769 www.goape.com Greenfields Outdoor Fitness...2-3 888.315.9037 www.greenfieldsfitness.com NFL Foundation..........................7 www.nflfoundation.org/applications/programs/view/nrpa Power Systems..........................29 800.321.6975 x 1012 www.powersystems.com/nrpa TriActive America......................17 800.587.4228 www.triactiveamerica.com AQUATICS Vortex........................................27 877-586-7839 www.vortex-intl.com BLEACHERS/ SEATING Kay Park Recreation..................54 800.553.2476 www.kaypark.com BUILDINGS/TENTS/SHELTERS Easi-Set Buildings.....................53 866.252.8210 www.easisetbuildings.com

Shade Systems™ Inc....................1 800.609.6066 www.shadesystemsinc.com GOLFING PRODUCTS/SERVICES Disc Golf Association................54 831.722.6037 www.discgolf.com PARK PRODUCTS/SERVICES Bright Idea Shops......................53 800.886.8990 www.brightideashops.com Jayhawk Plastics Inc.................54 913.764.8181 www.frogfurnishings.com Most Dependable Fountains....C2 800.552.6331 www.mostdependable.com Pilot Rock®.................................23 800.762.5002 www.pilotrock.com Willoughby Industries................9 800.428.4065 www.willoughby-ind.com PLAYGROUND EQUIPMENT Landscape Structures®.............C3 888.438.6574 www.playlsi.com

RESTROOMS/LOCKER ROOMS Easi-Set Buildings.....................53 866.252.8210 www.easisetbuildings.com Salsbury Industries.....................9 800-562-5377 www.lockers.com SIGNS/SCOREBOARDS Colorado Timing Systems (CTS, a division of Playcore).....C4 877.287.0653 www.coloradotime.com SPORTS EQUIPMENT Scoremaster Goals....................54 888.726.7627 www.scoremaster.com Soccer5®USA.............................31 305.393.5230 www.soccer5usa.com SURFACING Matéflex.....................................13 844.244.8464 www.mateflex.com sofSURFACES...............................5 800.263.2363 www.sofsurfaces.com

Mail the completed form to Kip Ongstad at NRPA, 22377 Belmont Ridge Road, Ashburn, VA 20148-4501 or email to kongstad@nrpa.org or Michelle Dellner at mdellner@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 ©2017 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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Park Bench

A Cut Above Hairstylist Joshua Eudy is bringing hope back to Jacksonville, North Carolina, one haircut at a time with his nonprofit charity, Haircuts-Hugs-Hope. This endeavor began in April 2016 when Eudy offered free haircuts to homeless people in Charlotte, North Carolina. Over a two-day period, the hairstylist had given 70 haircuts right on the street. The experience inspired Eudy to create a free haircut program.

Eudy, a military veteran, discovered his passion for hairstyling after being discharged from the Army due to an injury he suffered in 2000. After completing the hairstylist program, Eudy soon realized he could use his skills, when he wasn’t working, to give back to the community by offering professional haircuts at no cost to those less fortunate.

He moved to the city of Jacksonville a few years ago, where he currently works as a stylist at Colors Salon.

Since its inception nine months ago, Haircuts-Hugs-Hope has been providing free haircuts to the homeless and others through scheduled community events. In addition, Eudy has volunteered his time at events in Asheville, Raleigh and Chicago, as well as on Skid Row in Los Angeles. Because of his philanthropy and generous spirit, community members call Eudy their “unsung hero.”

On December 11, Eudy and Haircuts-Hugs-Hope partnered with the City of Jacksonville Parks and Recreation to host a day of free haircuts for the community. At the event, which took place at Jack Amyette Recreation Center, Eudy along with 11 hair school students volunteered their time and expertise, providing haircuts to 158 Jacksonville citizens.

“This event was about more than just a haircut,” notes Eudy, “it was about bringing the community together in a time of need.” He adds that today’s society has left some people behind, whereby they are struggling financially and can’t afford a haircut. However, Eudy points out that the free haircuts were not exclusively for the homeless.

The purpose was to host a community event where everyone could gather as one and feel welcome.

Looking toward the future, Eudy, says he intends to expand the Haircuts-Hugs-Hope program by creating partnerships with cities across the country. For more information about the program, visit https://www.facebook.com/haircutshugshope.

— Vitisia Paynich, Freelance Writer for Parks & Recreation magazine 56 Parks & Recreation

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PARKS&RECREATION JANUARY 2017 ◆ SENIORS AND BALANCE ◆ TOUGH CONVERSATIONS ◆ SAVING GOLF