Parks & Recreation Magazine March 2019

MARCH 2019 W W W. N R PA . O R G

PARK DESIGN Tempe Parks Renovations | Parks Build Community - Baltimore | Commit to Health Turns Five

Refill with the Most Dependable Bottle Filling Stations

MODEL #

10145 SM

Most Dependable Fountains, Inc.™ www.mostdependable.com • 901-867-0039

√ All stainless steel hardware and cables for maximum corrosion resistance and long life.

√ Our ingenious One-Point ‘Sail’ fastening system makes canopy removal a breeze for the winter or severe storm.

√ Most comprehensive warranties in the industry.

1.800.609.6066 shadesystemsinc.com

in harmony with nature

TM

√ CoolNet shade fabrics in your choice of 15 bright colors for up to 99% U.V. screening.

Shade

Imaginative Multi-Level ‘Sails’ by Shade SystemsTM feature layered colorful canopies designed to blend with nature while providing stylish protection from the sun’s harmful U.V. rays.

park tour 2019 Highlighting Gr eenfields’ pr ojects acr oss the nation Ft. Wayne, IN

B

ring communities together in pursuit of healthier living - with Greenfields Outdoor Fitness, you can create the perfect outdoor gym with activities for nearly everyone!

Turn virtually any outdoor space into a fun, fitness-focused gathering place with Greenfields’ many unique exercise solutions: • The recently-enhanced Functional Fitness line for elite athletes • Greenfields’ Professional Series with the most advanced resistance feature on the market • The Signature Accessible™ line for those with mobility impairments • Body-weight resistance units for a wide range of users Call us today at 888-315-9037 or visit us at greenfieldsfitness.com, and we’ll help you plan your community’s ultimate outdoor gym!

Shaped by play.

At Landscape Structures, we believe playstructures should complement their surroundings. But more than that, they should complement childhood. Every aesthetic choice is also backed by evidence to challenge, excite and energize kids of all abilities. Because better play shapes kids into better adults.

Paco Sanchez Park, Denver Learn the story behind this amazing new playground at playlsi.com/paco. Š2019 Landscape Structures Inc. All rights reserved.

contents march 2019

PHOTO COURTESY OF CITY OF TEMPE, ARIZONA

volume 54 | number 3 | www.parksandrecreation.org

FEATURES

44 Tempe Parks Get Some TLC Vitisia Paynich

Tempe, Arizona, a landlocked roughly 40-squaremile city, features 40 neighborhood parks, multiple community parks, sports complexes, two preserves, two golf courses and a spring training facility. The city initially earmarked $32 million toward revitalizing its existing parks, but the mayor and city council were thinking bigger.

Learn how this city tackled its Parks Capital Improvements Plan.

50 Commit to Health: Fulfilling Park and Recreation’s Role as a Health and Wellness Leader Allison Colman

It’s been five years since NRPA’s CEO, Barbara Tulipane, CAE, stood alongside former First Lady Michelle Obama to announce NRPA’s formal commitment to Partnership for a Healthier 6

Parks & Recreation

| M A R C H 2 0 1 9 | W W W. PA R K S A N D R E C R E AT I O N . O R G

America (PHA) and officially launch the Commit to Health campaign. That day provided excitement, inspiration and recognition for parks and recreation fulfilling the role as essential health and wellness leaders. Since then, local park and recreation agencies have not only risen to the challenge and delivered, but they have also exceeded expectations.

56 Parks Build Community Project 2019: The Renovation of Baltimore’s ABC Park Suzanne Nathan

When Baltimore was announced as the location for the 2019 NRPA Annual Conference, NRPA with the help of Baltimore City Recreation and Parks (BCRP) quickly identified Catherine ABC Park (ABC Park) as the best location for the 2019 PBC project. See how the design and equipment chosen to be included will help meet the needs of the community.

B O B C A T. C O M / G O V E R N M E N T

Trust your productivity with the best. Tackle the job with Bobcat ® compact equipment and power products from Doosan Portable Power.

CONTACT OUR GOVERNMENT SALES TEAM: 1.800.965.4232, Opt. 2 Bobcat is a Doosan company. Doosan is a global leader in construction equipment, power and water solutions, engines, and engineering, proudly serving customers and communities for more than a century.

Bobcat ® and Doosan® are registered trademarks of Bobcat Company and Doosan Corp. respectively in the United States and various other countries around the world. ©2019 Doosan Bobcat North America. All rights reserved. | 1363

contents march

columns 10 Perspectives

departments 14 Research

What Happens When Pay-to-Play Replaces Public Parks and Recreation Programs?

Barbara Tulipane, CAE

12 Editor’s Letter Protecting Nature’s Gifts Gina Mullins-Cohen

Your Feedback Promotes Innovation at NRPA Kevin Roth, Ph.D.

16 Park Pulse

24 Advocacy Combating Hunger Among Older Adults and Youth: An Intergenerational Approach Kate Clabaugh, MSW

Experiencing the Health Benefits of Nature

18 Member to Member The Gold Medal Award Application: A Team Building Experience 18 Sonia Myrick Fitzmorris Recreation Center: A Grassroots, Cooperative Community Project 22 Katie Groke Ellis, MPA, CPRP

28 Law Review Claustrophobic Workplace ADA Claim James C. Kozlowski, J.D., Ph.D.

34 Future Leaders Recreation Is Life Michael Bogema

62 NRPA Update How Becoming a CPRE Benefited My Career 62 Now Accepting Speed Session Proposals! 63 The NRPA Innovation Awards 64 Parks & Recreation Crossword 66 Connect Hot Topics 68 Member Benefit: Happy 5th Birthday NRPA Connect 68 Member Spotlight: Seth Hendler-Voss 69 ‘Get Fit’ for Family Health & Fitness Day in June 70 Thank You (and Congratulations)! [LWCF Reauthorization] 70 ‘Game On’ for the Cover of Parks & Recreation Magazine 70 Professional Development Calendar 71

36 Conservation Managing City Parks Without Synthetic Pesticides or Fertilizers Derek Bolivar and Alexandra Hiple

40 Health & Wellness Active People, Healthy NationSM in Parks: Creating a More Active America, Together Qaiser Mukhtar, Heather Devlin and Janet Fulton

42

Social Equity Connecting Residents with Local Parks and Government Through Educational Partnerships Daniel Domsic

72 Operations Caring for Heavily Used Landscapes Sonia Myrick

74 Products 76 Park Essentials 79 Advertiser Index 80 Park Bench

Cover image: Photography by Paul Coco, Trident Aerial Imagery www.droneglastonbury.com | coco_pj@hotmail.com Glastonbury Riverfront Park www.glastonbury-ct.gov/riverfrontpark Town of Glastonbury, Connecticut, is NRPA’s 2018 Innovation in Park Design Award Winner.

8

Parks & Recreation

| M A R C H 2 0 1 9 | W W W. PA R K S A N D R E C R E AT I O N . O R G

PHOTO COURTESY OF SUSAN DAVIS

Water Filters Melissa Quillard

Page 42

Bringing

Adventure To the

Air!

All New AirVenture™ Glider

Play That Moves You

®

It’s time to make childhood an adventure again and we are on a mission. A mission to bring adventure, fun and serious play back to each playground in every community we serve. Join our Movement and see how play can move you!

bciburke.com PATENT PENDING | Trademark(s) are the property of BCI Burke Company. © BCI Burke Company 2019. All Rights Reserved. 800-356-2070

P E RS 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 RS

What Happens When Pay-to-Play Replaces Public Parks and Recreation Programs?

One of the most important functions of NRPA’s board of directors is to develop and approve a strategic plan for the association. A new cycle of NRPA’s three-year strategic plan begins July 1, 2019, with the start of the 2020 fiscal year. At the recent board meeting in Miami, the board held a retreat during which it tackled some of the most difficult issues facing parks and recreation to examine their impact on the field now and in the future, as well as their implications for NRPA. The board’s goal was to understand how serious issues, such as social equity disparities and the need for resilient parks in a climate-changing world, will affect the field and the business of parks and recreation.

The increasing inequities in youth sports has been of keen interest to the board. The loss of youth sports facilities and access for kids in underserved communities is a growing trend. Coupled with the fast-growing opportunities for youth who are from families that can afford to pay for team and league fees, travel, equipment and elite training. The gulf between the haves who can pay-to-play and those who cannot is wide and growing wider.

As part of the discussion, the board viewed a segment from HBO’s “Real Sports” with Bryant Gumbel, titled “The Price of Youth Sports” (www.youtube.com/watch?v=AGxxBER5xJU), on this very issue. Of significance is that NRPA board members and staff worked with HBO producers during the filming of this piece to identify the consequences of these economic and social disparities.

NRPA members know better than most that it is not just that some kids from families of lesser means don’t have the opportunity to access elite training or play on travel teams, but that we are failing kids everywhere. As youth lose opportunities to play, even in park and rec-sponsored leagues because such opportunities are diminishing, the impacts to society are magnified because kids who are shut out of sports lose an important opportunity for physical activity, social development and healthy lifestyles. What are the larger, long-term implications for kids who become less healthy, trend toward obesity and don’t develop healthy outlets for physical activity?

NRPA believes that everyone deserves a great park, but that is not all we believe. We also believe, wholeheartedly, that everyone, especially youth, deserves great recreational opportunities. Public parks and recreation are vital to providing these opportunities for healthy recreation to everyone, regardless of their ability to pay-to-play.

BARBARA TULIPANE, CAE President and CEO

10

Parks & Recreation

| M A R C H 2 0 1 9 | W W W. PA R K S A N D R E C R E AT I O N . O R G

VICTOR STANLEY RELAY ™ 2 2377 Belmont Ridge Rd. | Ashburn, VA 20148 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 Chair of the Board of Directors Jack Kardys J. Kardys Strategies Miami, Florida

Chair-Elect Michael Kelly Chicago Park District Chicago, Illinois Treasurer Xavier D. Urrutia City of San Antonio Parks and Recreation San Antonio, Texas

Secretary Karen Bates Kress Park Advocate Emigrant, Montana

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

BOARD OF DIRECTORS Michael Abbaté, FASLA

Karen Bates Kress Park Advocate Emigrant, Montana

S T R E E T L E V E L S E N S I N G ™ & WA S T E C O N T R O L S E R V I C E

Have you saved your parks today?

Joanna Lombard University of Miami School of Architecture; Miller School of Medicine Department of Public Health Sciences Miami, Florida

Carolyn McKnight, CPRP Former BREC Executive Director East Baton Rouge, Louisiana

Joshua Medeiros, CPRP, AFO City of Bristol Parks & Recreation Bristol, Connecticut

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

Ian Proud Playworld Systems Williamsport, Pennsylvania

Nonet T. Sykes

Formerly of Portland Parks & Recreation Portland, Oregon

Atlanta Beltline, Inc. Atlanta, Georgia

Neelay Bhatt

Xavier D. Urrutia

PROS Consulting Indianapolis, Indiana

City of San Antonio Parks and Recreation San Antonio, Texas

Hayden Brooks

Greg A. Weitzel, CPRP

American Realty Corporation Austin, Texas

City of Idaho Falls Parks and Recreation Idaho Falls, Idaho

Heroes come in all forms, including parks and recreation

Kong Chang

LIFE TRUSTEES

departments. When you integrate Relay sensor technology,

Beverly D. Chrisman

you’re saving much more than waste management costs.

City of Saint Paul Parks and Recreation Saint Paul, Minnesota

Carol Coletta Memphis River Parks Partnership Memphis, Tennessee

Kevin Coyle National Wildlife Federation Washington, D.C.

Lexington, South Carolina

Anne S. Close

Because along with measuring receptacle fill levels for more

Fort Mill, South Carolina

efficient collection, Relay also collects street-level data that

James H. Evans New York, New York

can help cut CO2 emissions, improve public health and

Rosemary Hall Evans

bring environmental justice. You’re more than a park official.

Jose Felix Diaz

Sugar Hill, New Hampshire

Ballard Partners Miami, Florida

Earl T. Groves Gastonia, North Carolina

Victor Dover

Charles E. Hartsoe, Ph.D.

Dover, Kohl & Partners Town Planning Miami, Florida

Richard Gulley City of San Diego Parks and Recreation Department San Diego, California

Jack Kardys

Richmond, Virginia

Just like Victor Stanley is more than an outdoor furniture manufacturer. With actionable data from every street corner, there’s no limit to what you can do for your community.

Harry G. Haskell, Jr. Chadds Ford, Pennsylvania

Kathryn A. Porter Mendham, New Jersey

Perry J. Segura

J. Kardys Strategies Miami, Florida

New Iberia, Louisiana

Michael Kelly

Round Hill, Virginia

Chicago Park District Chicago, Illinois

Baton Rouge, Louisiana

US Patent D785,269 S.

R. Dean Tice

V ICTOR STA N L EY.COM

Eugene A. Young, CPRP

W W W. PA R K S A N D R E C R E AT I O N . O R G | M A R C H 2 0 1 9 |

Parks & Recreation

11

EDITOR’S LETTER PRESIDENT AND CEO Barbara Tulipane, CAE

Protecting Nature’s Gifts It’s been nearly a month since the end of the longest partial government shutdown in U.S. history, and we are already seeing the devastating effects it’s had on our national parks — especially on Joshua Tree National Park.

There, protected trees were toppled over onto their sides by vandals who cut down the trees to create new roads for their illegal off-roading and who spray-painted rocks and discarded their trash right on the ground.

While some turned to vandalism, others stepped forward — volunteering to pick up trash and clean restrooms at various parks, including Yosemite National Park and Joshua Tree. These are good Samaritans who understood that we all have the responsibility to be stewards of our parks and public lands.

The city of Tempe, Arizona, knows all too well the importance of being a faithful overseer of its parks, as illustrated in this month’s cover story, “Tempe Parks Get Some TLC,” on page 44. Continuing our parks transforming cities, towns and communities series, contributor Vitisia Paynich highlights four of the 30 completed projects that are part of Tempe’s $60 million Parks Capital Improvements Plan.

Tempe parks aren’t the only ones undergoing transformations. On December 11, 2018, Maryland’s Baltimore City Recreation and Parks (BCRP) hosted a groundbreaking ceremony at ABC Park, NRPA’s 2019 Parks Build Community (PBC) project. NRPA Media Specialist Suzanne Nathan takes a closer look at this 2-acre park in the article, “Parks Build Community Project – 2019: The Renovation of Baltimore’s ABC Park,” on page 56, as well as details BCRP’s planned improvements. PBC is a national initiative demonstrating the transformative value of parks on the health and vitality of communities across America.

Promoting health and wellness throughout all 50 states is an ongoing mission for NRPA and why we launched our Commit to Health campaign five years ago. In 2014, NRPA pledged to then-First Lady Michelle Obama and to Partnership for a Healthier America that we would encourage park and recreation-based, out-of-school time (OST) sites to implement the National Afterschool Association’s Healthy Eating and Physical Activity standards. In the feature, “Commit to Health: Fulfilling Park and Recreation’s Role as a Health and Wellness Leader,” on page 50, Allison Colman, NRPA’s senior program manager, provides insight into the progress made since the program’s inception.

As park professionals, community members and global citizens, we all have the power to become agents of change. If we want to live healthier lifestyles through the enjoyment of parks and recreation, then we need to take it upon ourselves to help preserve our open spaces and natural habitats. But, that can only happen if we use our voices to educate, inform and influence others about the importance of protecting these natural and historical gifts for future generations.

GINA MULLINS-COHEN Vice President of Marketing, Communications and Publishing Editorial Director 12

Parks & Recreation

| M A R C H 2 0 1 9 | W W W. PA R K S A N D R E C R E AT I O N . O R G

VICE PRESIDENT OF MARKETING, COMMUNICATIONS AND PUBLISHING, AND EDITORIAL DIRECTOR Gina Mullins-Cohen gcohen@nrpa.org EXECUTIVE EDITOR Sonia Myrick smyrick@nrpa.org EDITORIAL CONTRIBUTOR Suzanne Nathan snathan@nrpa.org PUBLICATION DESIGN Kim Mabon/Creative By Design CreativeByDesign.net SENIOR SALES MANAGER EASTERN REGION AND EUROPE Kip Ongstad 703.858.2174 kongstad@nrpa.org SENIOR SALES MANAGER WESTERN REGION AND ASIA Michelle Dellner 949.248.1057 mdellner@nrpa.org SALES COORDINATOR Meghan Fredriksen 703.858.2190 mfredriksen@nrpa.org PHOTOGRAPHY Dreamstime.com or NRPA (unless otherwise noted) MAGAZINE ADVISORY BOARD MEMBERS Michael Abbaté, FASLA Anthony-Paul Diaz Ryan Eaker Robert García Kathleen Gibi Paul Gilbert, CPRP Tim Herd, CPRE Brian Johnson, CPSI Michele Lemons Sam Mendelsohn Maria Nardi Lisa Paradis, CPRP Gil Peñalosa Paula Sliefert Shonnda Smith, CPRP, AFO Anne-Marie Spencer Stephen Springs

WHAT Toro® Outcross 9060. ™

MATTERS Long job list, one easy-to-use, easy-on-turf machine.

MOST Ready-for-play confidence.

What Matters Most to You Matters Most to Us. Get more done in a day with a single machine than you thought possible. Introducing the all-new Outcross. Part tractor, part vehicle, and all Toro. Specifically designed for turf with full-time 4-wheel drive, 4-wheel steer, and intuitive controls that simplify critical operations like aerating, top dressing and hundreds of other tasks, the all-season Outcross athletically powers through your job list. Be ready for play, today.

SUPPLIER PARTNER

Call 800-803-8676 or visit toro.com/Outcross

©2019 The Toro Company. All rights reserved.

RESEARCH Your Feedback Promotes Innovation at NRPA Key findings from the 2018 NRPA Membership Survey

By Kevin Roth, Ph.D.

O

ne of the most important roles NRPA Research plays at the association is to evaluate the quality and impact of our offerings to the park and recreation profession. If you have attended the NRPA Annual Conference, participated in a webinar or taken an online course, you have undoubtedly received a survey from us afterward about your experience. The NRPA team takes your feedback not only to improve our current offerings, but also to help shape new member benefits and educational offerings. If you have taken the time to complete our evaluation surveys, thank you.

This month’s column highlights some key findings from a recently conducted membership survey. In December 2018, the NRPA Research team sent randomly selected members a survey that queried not only about their overall level of satisfaction

14

Parks & Recreation

with NRPA, but also what they expect from both their membership and in education offerings.

We received responses from 481 of your peers.

Satisfaction and Expectations Among the survey’s key findings

| M A R C H 2 0 1 9 | W W W. PA R K S A N D R E C R E AT I O N . O R G

is that most NRPA practitioner members are happy with NRPA membership. Eighty percent of survey respondents rate their level of satisfaction at either a “4” or “5” on the five-point scale, with another 17 percent rating their level of satisfaction at a “3.” Further, there is very little difference in the level of satisfaction among the membership, regardless of job title or amount of time they have been in the field.

What is of greater interest to us is what you expect from NRPA. When members join NRPA, they are seeking a number of benefits and opportunities that help them professionally and raise the profile of the industry to key stakeholders and the general public. Your feedback on what is important guides NRPA staff to make sure our products and service offerings meet your needs.

Large majorities of NRPA practitioner members indicate each of these benefits/opportunities as being important aspects of their relationship with the association: • Promoting greater public awareness and appreciation of parks and recreation (94 percent) • Providing professional development, education and training opportunities (93 percent) • Identifying industry and professional benchmarks, best practices and trends (91 percent) • Setting standards and guidelines that improve the quality of park

and recreation offerings to the public (91 percent) • Serving as a unified public policy voice (84 percent) • Being a place for members to network with their peers (84 percent) You also told us that NRPA is largely effective in delivering on these expectations. At least 4 in 5 practitioner members agree that NRPA is effective in delivering each of the benefits and opportunities discussed above. These include: • Providing professional development, education and training opportunities (84 percent) • Identifying industry and professional benchmarks, best practices and trends (83 percent) • Promoting greater public awareness and appreciation of parks and recreation (82 percent) • Being able to network with my peers in parks and recreation (81 percent) • Setting standards and guidelines that improve the quality of park and recreation offerings to the public (80 percent).

• Serving as a unified voice to influence legislation, regulations and greater funding that better support the field (80 percent) Professional Development As noted above, providing professional development and continuing education is a role that the clear majority of your peers agree is important for NRPA. In fact, a majority of survey respondents told us that they had participated in a professional development offering — e.g., NRPA Annual Conference, webinar, online certificate, NRPA Directors School — at least once over the past two years.

Overall, recent participants in NRPA professional development events tell us that they were satisfied with the quality and breadth of the offerings. At least 4 in 5 of these members gave either a “4” or “5” on a five-point scale as to the level of their satisfaction in terms of: • The range of topics offered (84 percent) • The quality of the instructors (84 percent) • Applicability to work (83 percent) • Dates and times of the courses (83 percent) Our industry is changing, and it is critical for park and recreation professionals to keep their skills up to date to reflect the latest trends in the field. NRPA’s Professional Development team is using these survey results to help identify potential topic areas for new webinars, certificates and other training resources: • Leadership (50 percent) • Community engagement (43 percent) • Marketing and communications (31 percent) • Maintenance (29 percent) • Partnerships (29 percent) The areas of interest for professional development can vary from person to person. Relative to members elsewhere in their careers, executive-level members are more likely to be seeking educational content on marketing and communications, partnerships, planning, finance and legal. Middle management career members are most likely to seek leadership training and content on programming. And, staff-level members are most likely to seek education

training in environmental management and health and wellness.

What It All Means We are gratified that most of the respondents to this survey are satisfied with both their NRPA membership and their experiences with NRPA professional development offerings. At the same time, we will not rest on our laurels. Instead, the NRPA team will continue to work hard to ensure we are meeting not only your professional needs of today, but those for the future, as we face new challenges and opportunities.

Your feedback on your experiences with NRPA will only make the association an even stronger partner for the park and recreation field in the future. So, whether your next interaction with NRPA is great or you see room for improvement, please take the time to complete our evaluation surveys — it can only make your and your peers’ experiences better.

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

W W W. PA R K S A N D R E C R E AT I O N . O R G | M A R C H 2 0 1 9 |

Parks & Recreation

15

WE ASKED THE PUBLIC: Which of the following places, if any, do you visit to experience the health benefits of nature? These benefits could include reducing stress or increasing energy levels.

NRPA PARK PULSE

Millennials are more likely to visit any outdoor location to experience the health benefits of nature compared to their counterparts.

MILLENNIALS

56%

OF AMERICANS VISIT LAKES, RIVERFRONTS OR BEACHES

89%

GEN XERS

82%

55%

OF AMERICANS VISIT LOCAL PARKS OR PICNIC AREAS

BOOMERS

77%

Each month, through a poll of Americans that is focused on park and recreation issues, NRPA Park Pulse helps tell the park and recreation story. Questions span from the serious to the more lighthearted. The survey was conducted by Wakefield Research (www.wakefieldresearch.com).

Visit www.nrpa.org/Park-Pulse for more information.

It’s Your Time to Shine

Get Recognition with an NRPA Award: Innovation Awards - Honor agencies improving their communities in inspirational ways.

Spotlight Awards - Honor individuals for their commitment to the field.

Scholarships & Fellowships - Give up-and-coming professionals access to the NRPA Annual Conference.

Submissions will be accepted January 7 – March 29

nrpa.org/Awards

MEMBER TO MEMBER The Gold Medal Application: A Team Building Experience

By Sonia Myrick

W

hat comes to mind when you think about team building? Usually it’s an exercise, like a trust fall, or an activity, like going bowling or to an escape room or engaging in some other activity outside the confines of the office that allows you to see your colleagues in a different setting and from a different perspective. I’d be surprised if you said applying for an award was one of the team building activities that came to mind, but that’s how Rick Herold, a former director of the Grand Prairie Parks, Arts & Recreation Department in Texas approached it when he initiated the department’s application for the National Gold Medal Award Program, presented by the American Academy for Park and Recreation Administration in partnership with NRPA. “Our initial thought was ‘this is an overwhelming task,’” recalls Duane Strawn, PLA, ASLA, CPRP, the department’s assistant

PHOTOS COURTESY OF GRAND PRAIRIE PARKS, ARTS & RECREATION DEPARTMENT

The National Gold Medal logo adorns the multipurpose gym floor at The Epic, Grand Prairie Parks, Arts & Recreation Department’s new fitness, arts and entertainment center.

18

Parks & Recreation

| M A R C H 2 0 1 9 | W W W. PA R K S A N D R E C R E AT I O N . O R G

director – operations, going into the process. “But as we developed our system and broke up into teams, we began to see the results of all that we do and provide for the community. Our preparation included talking with our colleagues who were already Gold Medal winners to get some pointers and suggestions. We also gathered all our information about our programs, venues and events that we knew we would need to write our story.”

Grand Prairie applied for the National Gold Medal Award and

were finalists in 2006, 2007, 2016 and 2017 and won the Grand Plaque in 2008 and 2017. For the department, winning the National Gold Medal was an acknowledgement of years of planning, passion, sleepless weekends and holidays, and executing its plan to provide its community with a world-class, award-winning park and recreation department. “It is also a recognition of the priority that is placed on parks and recreation by our mayor and city council, board members, and city management,” adds Strawn. “For our city, it was the best way to show our citizens how hard we work for them, and that we are good stew-

ards of the resources they have entrusted us with. They have trusted us with their hard-earned money, and we invested that money and created a quality of life that is worthy of winning a national award.”

Sharing the News The time and energy invested in telling Grand Prairie’s story was time well spent when it came to communicating the department’s National Gold Medal Award-winning status to the community and local officials. “The true value of the Gold Medal Award is that it represents a quality of life that our citizens can be proud of,” Strawn explains. “When our

Grand Prairie includes the Gold Medal logo on all its communication platforms, including its Facebook page.

W W W . P A R K S A N D R E C R E A T I O N . O R G

| MARCH 2019 |

Parks & Recreation

19

MEMBER TO MEMBER

In addition to displaying the Gold Medal logo, Grand Prairie uses the phrase “Gold Medal Parks System” in conversations with local officials and residents.

‘Award-winning Parks Department’ is a successful tool used to bring in new businesses and homeowners to Grand Prairie, we know we have communicated the

Preparing to Apply: Some things to consider when preparing to apply for the National Gold Medal Award: Population Categories: Class I: 400,001 and over Class II: 150,001 – 400,000 Class III: 75,001 – 150,000 Class IV: 30,001 – 75,000 Class V: less than 30,000 Armed Forces State Parks (in odd-numbered years) Support Materials: Applicants will be asked to provide the following: • A three-page Executive Summary of their most current Comprehensive Plan for the agency.

20 Parks & Recreation

value of parks and recreation.”

Strawn continues: “In all our communications to our citizens, visitors and prospective citizens/employers, we present ourselves as a National

• Links to their website, program brochure and master plan. Please ensure links work. If not available electronically, hard copies will be accepted. Please mail six copies of the program brochure and one copy of the master plan to: NRPA Headquarters Attn: Gold Medal Award Program 22377 Belmont Ridge Road Ashburn, VA 20148 • For additional information, please contact goldmedal@nrpa.org.

Other Notes: • Keep a copy of your application for your records. If your application is successfully submitted, you will receive a confirmation email. If you do not receive a confirmation receipt within 24 hours after sub-

| M A R C H 2 0 1 9 | W W W. PA R K S A N D R E C R E AT I O N . O R G

Gold Medal-winning park and recreation department that provides an award-winning quality of life for our citizens and visitors of Grand Prairie. A recent example is at The Epic, our new 120,000-square-foot fitness, arts and entertainment center that features the National Gold Medal [logo] on the multipurpose gym floor.”

The department also includes the Gold Medal logo on advertisements, websites, vehicle wraps, staff apparel, building signage, business cards, email signatures and many other places to help inform the community and visitors of the high standards to which the department holds itself. In addition, during various presentations from their mayor, mitting your application, contact the NRPA office at goldmedal@ nrpa.org.

• Video Requirement: Gold Medal Finalists are being asked to post to their webpage a short (social media type) video, a MAX of 5 minutes by June 4. Judges will view this short video that helps support information provided in the application. Video should tell the story how your agency is unique and outstanding, while capturing images that support application responses; and serves as a media communication piece to your community! Any video approach may be used but will only be considered in round 2 judging discussions if 5 minutes or less and posted by June 4.

BEFORE city council, parks board or even the school district, the speakers will use the phrase “Gold Medal Parks System” to emphasize their point or argument.

“We feel our education campaign is on a successful trajectory when other people outside our department show their community pride by referencing the Gold Medal award,” says Strawn.

To those contemplating embarking on this team building experience, Strawn offers the following advice: “The key part of the application process is getting your whole team invested and involved in producing the document. This is not just a one-person application, it is a team building experience. With every application you learn something new and different about formatting, how to word something or how best to communicate your information. We will have more of our colleagues review our next application to help make sure we submit the best application possible.”

Several resources to help walk applicants through this award process, including the application and “Marketing the Gold,” are available at www. nrpa.org/goldmedal. The National Gold Medal Award Program, proudly sponsored by Musco Lighting, includes seven classes: five classes based on population, one class for armed forces recreation and one class, which is offered in odd numbered years, for state park systems. Finalists are announced at the end of April, and the Grand Award recipients are announced at the NRPA Annual Conference in the fall. The application deadline is March 29, so there’s still time to apply. If you have questions or need additional information, contact gold medal@nrpa.org.

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

AFTER

You love your park. Don’t ruin it with a strut system.

Milbank’s safe, secure, aesthetically pleasing enclosed controls can provide power distribution, lighting and irrigation controls, vendor event and remote site power without the use of unsightly strut or backboard systems.

milbankworks.com Enclosed Controls

RV/Mobile Home

Power distribution solutions for your park.

W W W. PA R K S A N D R E C R E AT I O N . O R G | M A R C H 2 0 1 9 |

Parks & Recreation

21

MEMBER TO MEMBER

Fitzmorris Recreation Center: A Grassroots, Cooperative Community Project

By Katie Groke Ellis, MPA, CPRP

A

rvada, Colorado, is a suburb located near the foothills of the Rocky Mountains just west of Denver. In 1953, special districts had come into being in the state of Colorado, and an energetic group of Arvada residents, concerned about several drownings in the area, initiated a grassroots effort to create a special park and recreation district and build a swimming pool. The residents wanted to have a safe place for their community to gather, play and learn the life-long skill of swimming, and the community worked hard to create the new special district. On November 13, 1956, Civil Action #10806 in Jefferson County District Court officially created the North Jeffco Metropolitan Recreation District (now known as the Apex Park and Recreation District).

PHOTOS COURTESY OF APEX PARK AND RECREATION DISTRICT

The first project of the newly created special district was Fisher Pool, which was built and opened for the community in 1958. The Apex Park and Recreation District expanded across Arvada, but Fisher Pool remained a community landmark even after years of growth in the district. For 47 years, the pool was the local swimming spot for the neighbors, visitors and

22 Parks & Recreation

residents of Arvada. Kids in Arvada grew up swimming at Fisher Pool, and almost everyone had at least one memory of jumping off the diving board, eating a picnic in the grass or diving for pennies.

Unfortunately, after decades as the community’s destination for swimming, a floodplain project necessitated the closure of the pool, as well as of the Garrison Street

Members of the Apex Board of Directors and the Arvada City Council, along with the school board president, and Mayor Marc Williams (at center in white jacket) cut the ribbon to officially open the Fitzmorris Recreation Center (right).

| M A R C H 2 0 1 9 | W W W. PA R K S A N D R E C R E AT I O N . O R G

Center, another Apex facility near the pool site that housed indoor soccer and gymnastics. The loss of these facilities, while necessary because of the need to remediate the floodplain to ensure citizen safety and property protections, was felt deeply by the community. After the deconstruction of Fisher Pool and the Garrison Street Center, the city of Arvada built what is now known as Ralston Central Park, which houses a fun splash pad and 20-acre park and continues to provide flood safety and recreation at the same location.

Several years after Fisher Pool closed, after constant community feedback, Apex worked closely with its partners at the city of Arvada and the Jefferson County School District to brainstorm how to reconstruct a pool in the neigh-

Several Arvada local officials and community members participate in a ceremonial cannonball into Fisher Pool at the Fitzmorris Recreation Center.

borhood and get back to the roots of why Apex Park and Recreation District was created in the first place. The city, the school district and Apex proposed including a new community recreation center in the Apex bond election in 2016.

The idea was that the school district would provide the land, the city would contribute matching funds to the Apex bond money and the Apex Park and Recreation District would build and operate the center. In May 2016, a total of $33 million was raised — $25 million from the bond, an additional $5 million from the sale of the bonds and $3 million from the city — for construction of six new Apex facility projects, including the Fitzmorris Recreation Center and outdoor pool, the long-awaited Fisher Pool replacement.

The city and Apex mobilized the neighborhood in support of the project: They held community meetings, design-input sessions and solicited feedback through surveys.

It truly was a grassroots cooperative community project, just like the district’s founders had undertaken in the 1950s, and a neighborhood that historically challenged bond funding ultimately supported the partnership that this effort generated.

“The recreation center and pool could not have happened without a lot of people coming together to make it happen,” says John Kiljan, resident and neighbor of the Fitzmorris Recreation Center.

Shortly after the bond issue was passed, construction began on the project. The 8,500-square-foot facility sits on property adjacent to Fitzmorris Elementary School and includes a weight room, expansive fitness room and an outdoor pool.

On June 23, 2018, the brandnew Fitzmorris Recreation Center opened. The grand opening event was a historic milestone in the life of this community and included a ceremonial cannonball into the pool with the City of Arvada Mayor Marc Williams, City Councilman Bob Fifer, JeffCo School Board President Brad Rupert, several neighbors and Apex Board of Directors member Stephanie Allen.

“Apex could not be prouder of this project. It is the perfect example of a partnership where the

Arvada community members enjoy the new Fisher Pool, which replaces the original Fisher Pool that was built and opened in 1958.

community works together for the greater good of the neighborhood.

The city, school district and Apex were able to bring this amazing facility to life and give the neighborhood back what it was missing,” says Lauri Dannemiller, Apex PRD executive director.

Katie Groke Ellis, MPA, CPRP, is the Marketing, Community Outreach and Communications Director for Apex Park and Recreation District (katieg@apexprd.org).

W W W. PA R K S A N D R E C R E AT I O N . O R G | M A R C H 2 0 1 9 |

Parks & Recreation

23

ADVOCACY

NRPA’s Public Policy team members with Ranking Member Virginia Foxx (R-NC) of the House Committee on Education & Labor (middle) at a summer meal Park Champion event in Mount Airy, North Carolina.

Combating Hunger Among Older Adults and Youth: An Intergenerational Approach

By Kate Clabaugh, MSW

N

RPA has supported our members for nearly a decade in the administration and operation of the federally funded Summer Food Service Program (SFSP) and the at-risk, afterschool component of the Child and Adult Care Food Program (CACFP), administered by the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) to meet the nutritional needs of low-income youth. Approximately 60 percent of members serve summer and afterschool meals and snacks through federally funded programs.

NRPA has calculated that through the Commit to Health initiative (www.nrpa.org/ CommitToHealth) 85 million meals have been served to 4.5 million youth in more than 300 communities.

24 Parks & Recreation

For summer 2018, USDA’s Food and Nutrition Service estimates that 5,707 SFSP sites identified as park and recreation facilities, with another 5,000 sites identifying as a community center, local government program, playground, swimming pool or nature center. In addition, since 2010, and in partnership with the Walmart Foundation, NRPA has calculated that through the Commit to Health initiative (www.

| M A R C H 2 0 1 9 | W W W. PA R K S A N D R E C R E AT I O N . O R G

nrpa.org/CommitToHealth) 85 million meals have been served to 4.5 million youth in more than 300 communities.

According to a recent survey conducted by NRPA, more than 9 in 10 park and recreation agencies also dedicate their facilities and offer a wide variety of programs and services to older adults. Between their current capacity to operate successful federally funded meal programs and their existing reach and trust among older adult populations, park and recreation facilities are ideal touchpoints for connecting food-insecure older adults with nutritious meals and other health and wellness resources.

NRPA strongly encourages those park and recreation facilities

Child Nutrition Reauthorization (CNR) serving both children and older adults to consider an intergenerational approach to combating hunger in communities by pairing two or more federal nutrition programs to provide healthy meals and snacks to both populations at the same site.

Advocacy Opportunities to Support Federal Nutrition Programs Two pieces of legislation impacting the federal funds available to support nutrition programs for low-income children and older adults are expected to move in Congress this year — the Child Nutrition Reauthorization (CNR) and the Older Americans Act (OAA).

Summer Food Service Program (SFSP) Program Goal: Youth 18 years or younger are served up to two free meals and a snack any day during the summer months when school is not in session.

Sites must be in a low-income neighborhood and can be hosted at recreation centers, swimming pools, parks or anywhere that kids may congregate.

Policy Ideas for Summer Meals: • Improve the area eligibility test to allow sites to participate if located in an area where 40 percent of children are eligible for free or reduced-price school meals.

• Allow local government agencies and private nonprofit organizations to feed children year-round through the Summer Food Service Program (eliminating the need to switch between SFSP and CACFP operations).

• Provide funding for transportation grants to fund innovative approaches and mobile meal trucks.

• Allow all sites to serve a third meal.

W W W. PA R K S A N D R E C R E AT I O N . O R G | M A R C H 2 0 1 9 |

Parks & Recreation

25

ADVOCACY

Child and Adult Care Food Program (CACFP): Program Goal (Adult Care Component): Adults 60 years or older are served meals and snacks as part of a non-residential, structured comprehensive program, providing health and social service support to enrolled participants, any day during the calendar year. Sites must be in a facility that meets local adult care licensing requirements.

Program Goal (At-Risk Afterschool Component): Youth 18 years or younger are served up to one meal and one snack per day during the school year when the school day ends, over the weekends and during school holiday breaks. Sites must be in a low-income neighborhood and educational or enrichment activities must also be available on-site.

Policy Ideas for CACFP Afterschool Meals: • Improve the area eligibility test (same as SFSP).

• Allow an additional meal service to be offered to children when in care over a specified amount of time (i.e., weekend programming).

Policy Ideas for CACFP Older Adult Meals: • Streamline eligibility and administrative requirements of sites to serve both youth and older adults via CACFP, encouraging an intergenerational approach to combating hunger in communities.

• Create pilot meal program sites that test an area eligibility model, based on senior poverty or senior food insecurity data, where all participants can eat for free.

Farm to School Grant Program

Program Goal: Federal grants are available on an annual basis to support the implementation and expansion of school garden projects. Park and recreation agencies are eligible to directly apply, but projects must take place on school property and in partnership with the school hosting the garden.

Policy Ideas for Farm to School Program: • Allow projects to take place on nonschool properties, such as in parks and on land owned by local municipalities.

26 Parks & Recreation

| M A R C H 2 0 1 9 | W W W. PA R K S A N D R E C R E AT I O N . O R G

PROVIDING A CLEAN ENVIRONMENT SHOULD BE A WALK IN THE PARK Older Americans Act (OAA)

Senior Congregate Nutrition Program: Program Goal: Title III-C of OAA authorizes federal grants to states, which are often then re-granted to local Area Agencies on Aging (AAA) to support congregate meal programs for adults age 60 or older. These programs are designed to promote socialization and are offered in coordination with other community-based support programs.

Park and recreation agencies should partner with their local AAA to participate as meal program sites.

The DOGIPOT® line of products combines unparalleled convenience and superior durability to help you do the job you love better and ensure the perfect park experience whether on two legs or four.

Header Pak Dispenser 1002HP-4

Junior Bag Dispenser 1002-2

Poly Junior Bag Dispenser 1007-2

Policy Ideas for Senior Congregate Nutrition Program: • Develop pilot meal program sites that test an area eligibility model, based on senior poverty or senior food insecurity data, where all participants can eat for free.

Agencies currently participating in any of these programs are encouraged to invite their members of Congress out to visit the sites and centers to see these programs in action. These site visits are critical for educating policymakers on how vital the programs are to communities, what is working well with how the programs operate and what could potentially be improved on through legislative changes.

This year, as CNR and OAA advance in Congress, NRPA’s Public Policy team will provide updates on how your advocacy can be helpful in potentially making policy change ideas a reality. If your agency currently offers meals, snacks or other nutritional support programs through any of these federal opportunities and you are interested in hosting your members of Congress, please contact NRPA’s advocacy and outreach manager, Jayni Rasmussen (jrasmussen@nrpa.org).

Kate Clabaugh, MSW, is NRPA’s Senior Government Affairs Manager (kclabaugh@nrpa.org).

Trash Liner Box 1404

Header Pak 1402HP

Roll Bag 1402

DOGIPOT.com 800.364.7681 DOGIPARK.com The Most Trusted & Superior Quality For Over 25 Years W W W. PA R K S A N D R E C R E AT I O N . O R G | M A R C H 2 0 1 9 |

Parks & Recreation

27

TDBP/ALAMY STOCK PHOTO

LAW REVIEW

Claustrophobic Workplace ADA Claim

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

C

ongress enacted the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), in part, “to address the major areas of discrimination faced day to day by people with disabilities” 42 U.S.C.A. § 12101(b) (4). Within the workplace, the “ADA prohibits discrimination against an otherwise qualified employee on the basis of her disability.” Specifically, the ADA states that “[n]o covered entity shall discriminate against a qualified individual on the basis of disability in regard to...advancement, or discharge of employees...and other terms, conditions, and privileges of employment” 42 U.S.C. § 12112(a).

In the case of Weiss v. County of Suffolk, 2018 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 51399 (E.D. N.Y. 3/27/2018), Plaintiff Donna Weiss brought a lawsuit against Defendants County of Suffolk and Suffolk County Department of Parks Recreation & Conservation (“Defendants”), alleging a violation of the Americans with Disabilities Act (the ADA). In her complaint, the Plaintiff alleged that the Defendants failed to reasonably accommodate her mental

28 Parks & Recreation

disability and that she was unlawfully terminated. Specifically, she alleged that her ability to concentrate, think, communicate, interact with others and work was substantially limited by her disability.

With regard to a failure-to-accommodate claim, a plaintiff establishes a prima facie (i.e., legally sufficient on initial impression) ADA case by demonstrating that (1) plaintiff is a person with a disability under the meaning of the ADA, (2) an em-

| M A R C H 2 0 1 9 | W W W. PA R K S A N D R E C R E AT I O N . O R G

ployer covered by the statute had notice of his disability, (3) with reasonable accommodation, plaintiff could perform the essential functions of the job at issue and (4) the employer has refused to make such accommodations.

With regard to a discriminatory termination claim, a plaintiff establishes a prima facie ADA case by demonstrating that (1) her employer is subject to the ADA, (2) she was disabled within the meaning of the ADA, (3) she was otherwise qualified to perform the essential functions of her job, with or without reasonable accommodation and (4) she suffered adverse employment action because of her disability.

Facts of the Case Plaintiff Donna Weiss (“Plaintiff ”) was employed by Defendant Parks

and Recreation as a clerk typist in its environmental department from March 1996 to June 3, 2011. Initially, the Plaintiff worked at Defendants’ West Sayville location, where she shared an office space with two other individuals. While at the West Sayville location, the Plaintiff did not have any medical issues that affected her ability to do her job.

At some point in either 2009 or 2010, the environmental department was relocated from the Defendants’ West Sayville location to the Timber Point location. The Plaintiff ’s first office space at the Timber Point location was “a large open area with only two desks.”

Her desk was set against a window and faced a larger window, which provided a view of the golf course.

She shared the office space with one other individual.

In a March 22, 2011, memorandum, Tracy Bellone, Defendant Park and Recreation’s deputy commissioner, advised the Plaintiff that her work assignment would be changed and that she would be moved to another office within the Timber Point location. Her new office measured 15.5 feet by 8 feet. The office was windowless and had three doors that opened to interior spaces — two doors opened to other offices; one door opened to the hallway.

On March 24, 2011, two days after receiving notice of the impending relocation, the Plaintiff sent a letter to the Department of Public Works Commissioner requesting a transfer to the Department of

The Plaintiff requested that she either be moved to an office with a window or have a window installed in the office.

Public Works. According to the Plaintiff, she made the request because of her inability to work in her current space. Then, on March 28, 2011, she met with Ms. Bellone, and informed Ms. Bellone that claustrophobia prevented her from working in the new office because it was a confined space without a window, air conditioning or ventilation. The Plaintiff requested that she either be moved to an office with a window or have a window installed in the office.

EXPERIENCE WATER IN A WHOLE NEW WAY.

952.445.5135 877.632.0503 aquatix.playlsi.com Insta Insta

Insta

Insta Insta

Insta

©2018 Landscape Structures Inc.

W W W. PA R K S A N D R E C R E AT I O N . O R G | M A R C H 2 0 1 9 |

Parks & Recreation

29

LAW REVIEW

The Plaintiff requested to return to her old office with the golf course view, but she was informed that the request was denied.

During the meeting, Ms. Bellone asked whether the Plaintiff had medical documentation of her claustrophobia. The Plaintiff indicated that she did not. Ms. Bellone asked that such documentation be provided and told the Plaintiff that a window would be put in after Labor Day. No sooner than March 30, 2011, the Plaintiff met with Registered Clinical Social Worker (RCSW), Barbara Weitz, who provided the Plaintiff with a note stating: Donna Weiss has been a patient 30 Parks & Recreation

of mine since 3/30/11. She has a diagnosis of Agoraphobia with Panic Disorder (300.21). She will be seen weekly. This disorder is represented by extreme anxiety or panic attacks when these patients are faced with a feeling of confinement, i.e., small spaces, being in a crowd, being on a bridge or [in a] tunnel or on a train, etc. If you need additional information regarding the patient, please feel free to call me at the above number.

According to the Plaintiff, the Defendants made some efforts to accommodate her concerns.

Within two days of the Plaintiff ’s meeting with Ms. Bellone, the doors were removed from the Plaintiff ’s office. Her supervisors, Nick Gibbons and Tom D’Angelo permitted the Plaintiff to work in their respective offices when either was not present. Jim Barr, whose office was adjacent to the Plaintiff, left his door open when he was not in the office to “help [Plaintiff] feel better.”

According to the Plaintiff, these accommodations did not alleviate her panic attacks. Indeed, she testified that she was having panic and anxiety attacks every day. Further, the Plaintiff maintained that she had difficulty breathing in her office and that following an attack, she was unable to concentrate for the rest of the day. Due to these attacks, the Plaintiff used sick days and left work early on occasion.

On May 23, 2011, the Plaintiff made a second request for a transfer. This time, she wrote a letter requesting a transfer to the Department of Social Services. According to the Plaintiff, she was still suffering from her medical condition at the time of the letter.

| M A R C H 2 0 1 9 | W W W. PA R K S A N D R E C R E AT I O N . O R G

By the end of Plaintiff ’s employment, she was having daily panic attacks and speaking with both Mr. Gibbons and Mr. D’Angelo every day. In one of those conversations, the Plaintiff requested to return to her old office with the golf course view, but she was informed that Ms. Bellone denied the request.

The Plaintiff indicated to Mr. Gibbons and Mr. D’Angelo that she was going to resign from her position. When she did so, Mr. Gibbons and Mr. D’Angelo informed the Plaintiff that they were still working to either have a window installed in her office or have her moved to another office.

According to the Defendants, Mr. Gibbons asked her to reconsider resigning and reminded her about the option to transfer.

On June 1, 2011, the Plaintiff submitted a letter to Mr. Gibbons and Mr. D’Angelo requesting a three-month leave of absence without pay. In the letter, she indicated that she was making the request “due to health issues.” That same day, the Defendants denied her request and provided two reasons for the denial: First, it was “Department policy NOT to approve any request for leave of absence.”

Second, “the Department was too short staffed to consider such a request.” The Plaintiff did not appeal the denial of leave to the Director of Labor Relations, a procedure available under the County’s collective bargaining agreement.

On June 2, 2011, the Plaintiff sent a letter to the Defendants resigning her position. She stated: “This is due to working conditions that exasperated my health condition, and I regret that a reasonable accommodation could not

be provided.” After the Plaintiff ’s resignation, Dr. Anna Mirski gave the Plaintiff a note dated June 13, 2011, stating: “Donna has been under my care. She is able to work but needs to avoid conditions that trigger her claustrophobia.”

Prior to 2011, the Plaintiff never had a claustrophobic feeling at work. Furthermore, in 2011, the manifestations of the Plaintiff ’s claustrophobia at work were limited to her new office space. Outside of work, claustrophobia did not affect any life activity during the relevant period. The Plaintiff had not been treated for claustrophobia as an adult prior to March 2011.

On December 14, 2011, the Plaintiff filed a Charge of Disability under the ADA with the U.S. Equal Employment and Opportunity Commission (EEOC). On the intake questionnaire, the Plaintiff indicated that she “suffered from the medical disability of claustrophobia, that she requested reasonable accommodations, which were denied by Defendants, and that her employment was constructively terminated.” On December 18, 2012, the EEOC issued the Plaintiff a Notice of the Right to Sue. On February 11, 2014, the Plaintiff filed her lawsuit in federal district court.

Claustrophobia Disability?

In her complaint, the Plaintiff alleged the Defendants had violated the ADA by failing to “reasonably accommodate her known mental limitations brought on by her disability of claustrophobia.” In so doing, the Plaintiff claimed the county had “constructively terminated her” based on “her medical disability, perceived medical

disability, record of impairment, and need for leave as well as other reasonable accommodations.”

(An employee is constructively terminated when an employer makes

working conditions so intolerable that the employee is effectively forced to resign.)

To establish both a failure to accommodate and discrimination

Enjoy the...andOutdoors Keep It Clean

TM

Commercial quality receptacles designed for outdoor use.

Choose the size, shape, material, lid and color to fit your landscape.

Collect trash, recyclables, smoking ash, even pet waste.

RJ Thomas Mfg. Co., Inc • Cherokee, Iowa 800-762-5002 • pilotrock@rjthomas.com • pilotrock.com

W W W. PA R K S A N D R E C R E AT I O N . O R G | M A R C H 2 0 1 9 |

Parks & Recreation

31

LAW REVIEW

under the ADA, the federal district court acknowledged: “A plaintiff must demonstrate that she is a person with a disability as defined by the act.” In this instance, the court noted the Plaintiff had claimed she suffered from “claustrophobia and/or agoraphobia.”

In response, the Defendants argued the Plaintiff had failed to state an ADA claim, because “claustrophobia and agoraphobia are not recognized as impairments under the ADA.” The federal district court rejected this “categorical bright-line test approach” advocated by the Defendants.

According to the federal district court, “no blanket rule regarding claustrophobia and agoraphobia” had been established in earlier

The federal district court held the Plaintiff’s doctor notes and related information failed to provide “the medical evidence necessary to support Plaintiff’s claims” under the ADA. 32 Parks & Recreation

ADA federal court opinions. On the contrary, the federal courts had made “a fact-specific inquiry to assess the purported impairment” on a case-by-case basis.

As cited by the federal district court, within the context of the ADA, a plaintiff can establish that she is a person with a disability by showing either that she: (1) has a physical or mental impairment that substantially limits one or more major life activities; (2) has a record of such an impairment; or (3) has been regarded as having such an impairment 42 U.S.C. § 12102(1)(A)-(C).

In this instance, the federal district court found the Plaintiff had not claimed that “there was a record of her purported impairment or that she has been regarded as having such an impairment.” Instead, the Plaintiff had argued “her diagnosed disorders substantially limit one or more major life activities, bringing her within the ambit of the ADA.” In the opinion of the federal district court, the pretrial record did not support this contention.

Proof of Substantial Limitation?

As characterized by the court, the Plaintiff had relied “almost exclusively” on her own pretrial testimony and deposition “as evidence that her alleged impairment substantially limits major life activities”: Plaintiff ’s panic attacks and feelings of suffocation hindered her at the office. In order to keep up with her work, she had to work in the offices of Mr. Gibbons and Mr. D’Angelo when they were not present. Other days, Plaintiff took sick leave or left work early.

The court, however, found the pretrial record did not contain

| M A R C H 2 0 1 9 | W W W. PA R K S A N D R E C R E AT I O N . O R G

“any admissible medical evidence that might serve to substantiate the Plaintiff ’s claimed limitations.”

On the contrary, the court found the Plaintiff had only offered “two notes relevant to the Court’s inquiry, one from Dr. Mirski and the other from RCSW Weitz diagnosing Plaintiff with claustrophobia and agoraphobia, respectively”: Plaintiff does not offer a single affidavit or deposition testimony from a physician or other medical professional setting out the limitations attendant to her diagnosis. There are no medical notes or records delineating the severity or extent of Plaintiff ’s limitations. Likewise, Plaintiff offers no expert medical opinion.

Similarly, the federal district court rejected the Plaintiff ’s “purported evidence of her disorder” based on information provided from the website WebMD. The court also rejected a note from Dr. Guillermo A. San Roman, which simply stated: “Pt under our care, any questions please call.”

Mere Diagnosis Not ADA Disability Accordingly, the federal district court held the Plaintiff ’s doctor notes and related information failed to provide “the medical evidence necessary to support Plaintiff ’s claims” under the ADA: It is insufficient for a plaintiff to prove a disability on the basis of a diagnosis alone — that is, not every impairment is a disability.

Not every impairment is a ‘disability’ within the meaning of the ADA. To rise to the level of a cognizable disability a plaintiff must demonstrate that the diagnosed conditions substantially limit plaintiff in a major life activity.

There are two requirements: the impairment must limit a major life activity and the limitation must be substantial. An impairment is within the meaning of this section if it substantially limits the ability of an individual to perform a major life activity as compared to most people in the general population.

In the opinion of the federal district court: “Neither of the notes proffered by Plaintiff address what limitations, if any, are marked by Plaintiff ’s disorders.” In particular, the court cited Dr. Mirski’s note, authored after the Plaintiff left the employ of Parks and Recreation, as failing to provide any information concerning any substantial limitations on major life activities associated with the diagnosed con-

dition. As cited by the court, Dr. Mirski’s note simply read in total: “Donna has been under my care.

She is able to work but needs to avoid conditions that trigger her claustrophobia.”

Similarly, the court found the note from RCSW Weitz stated only generically that agoraphobia “is represented by extreme anxiety or panic attacks when these patients are faced with a feeling of confinement, i.e., small spaces, being in a crowd, being on a bridge or in a tunnel or on a train, etc.”

In the opinion of the federal district court: “Neither note provides information concerning the frequency of any alleged panic attack

by Plaintiff.” Moreover, the court found “no reference to the dura-

tion of any panic attacks” in these notes. Most importantly, as cited by the court, “neither note provides any information concerning how the diagnosed condition impacts Plaintiff ’s ability to think, concentrate, communicate, or work.”

Accordingly, the federal district concluded: “This lack of evidence is fatal to Plaintiff ’s claims” under the ADA. As a result, the federal district court granted the Defendants’ motion for summary judgment and directed the clerk of the court to “enter judgment and close this case.”

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

W W W. PA R K S A N D R E C R E AT I O N . O R G | M A R C H 2 0 1 9 |

Parks & Recreation

33

FUTURE LEADERS

Recreation Is Life

By Michael Bogema [Editor’s note: The following speech was delivered at the 2018 Colorado Parks and Recreation Conference during an American Academy for Parks and Recreation Administration-sponsored session, led by Jamie Sabbach, where a group of eight hand-chosen students and young professionals prepared six-minute presentations on why they chose the field, their passion for the profession and their hopes and dreams for the future of parks and recreation.]

Life has a way of unfolding obstacles before us, and these obstacles can debilitate and derail us.

Life has a way of unfolding obstacles before us, and these obstacles can debilitate and derail us. So often, we get caught up in the image of “serious” adulthood that we forget how we grew and learned in the first place. There is a tendency in our modern culture to disconnect from our happy-golucky sense of wonder, because 34 Parks & Recreation

we think we have learned what we need, and there is nothing else to learn. This leads to a bitter sense of close-minded stagnation that keeps us separate from our neighbor. Because we know something they may not have learned yet, doesn’t mean they don’t know something we don’t or that they won’t learn what we have learned.

There is always a point in life where we did not know what we do now. Even now, we are still in the dark in contrast to what we will learn in the future.

Recreation has reinforced for me the value of comfort not only

| M A R C H 2 0 1 9 | W W W. PA R K S A N D R E C R E AT I O N . O R G

within ourselves, but also with the connections we build in our lives. Like a Chinese finger trap, it is the relinquishment of tense control that frees up the heart for new experiences. It is important to find peace and connection, as the two lead to a better mood and better health. Letting go of what could have been and our imagination of a broken future so we may appreciate what is and what can be improved is the important paradigm that is catalyzed by recreation, as the word literally says, “RE CREATE.” We are not stones, and we all have the hope of better, as long as we have life.

The hope and joy of what is next lays in the true nature of the human spirit.

Play brings us back to our roots of growth, when we could relax and allow life to be. Letting

our raft of life inflate to carry us down the river of wisdom is vital. We naturally, will have to patch the raft as time passes, but instead of letting the gash sink us, we must accept the challenge to learn. Through connection with others, we can convey our wisdom to either help them patch their raft as well or to help them to avoid puncturing the same hole in their raft. A playful, relaxed environment helps us work through and put our problems to rest. Relaxation releases fear, which is the culprit of many problems in the first place. If it is not the culprit, it is certainly the magnifying glass.

I will never fear as long as I have breath, and as long as I have breath, I will play. As life winds to the last, I am not afraid that my life will be for naught because I found how to use what I could, while I could. We are all given a beginning and an end, but what we do in the meantime is our time and ultimately affects us.

That’s why it is very crucial to me to connect people with their own ability to RE CREATE. A cesspool of negativity is flushed away when we get back in touch with life, and for me, recreation is life.

It is my job to show people how to step back and reconnect.

Any recreation that is pure of heart is where I will be focused.

I found balance in myself and feel it is my duty to help others find it as well. Like life, recreation presents its own obstacles and challenges that offer genuine opportunities for growth through solution and compromise. As we build relationships through social

recreation and rebuild ourselves through personal recreation, we can identify and improve on our strengths and weaknesses. The light shines when we accept what cannot be changed immediately, as the journey of 10,000 miles begins with the first step.

It is so important to me to convey this message because some people believe that the first step is beyond them, so they don’t take that first step. If the step would have been recognized as something possible, their time would have continued to a new road.

The first step then leads to the next, which creates a new journey of fun. As we march, change is apparent, and our future becomes

Play brings us back to our roots of growth....Letting our raft of life inflate to carry us down the river of wisdom is vital. We naturally, will have to patch the raft as time passes, but instead of letting the gash sink us, we must accept the challenge to learn. more distinct, but this is only possible when we accept what must, start at any point, and RE CREATE and reinforce it.

Michael Bogema is a Senior at Metropolitan State University Denver (mbogema@msudenver.edu).

Creating Fun Ways to Spray & Play!

From contemporary designs to fun themes, we work with you to develop innovative aquatic play equipment and environments.

CONTACT US FOR YOUR NEXT AQUATIC PLAY EXPERIENCE. 512.392.1155 | www.waterodyssey.com

W W W. PA R K S A N D R E C R E AT I O N . O R G | M A R C H 2 0 1 9 |

Parks & Recreation

35

PHOTOS COURTESY OF CHARLIE MCCABE

CONSERVATION

Managing City Parks Without Synthetic Pesticides or Fertilizers

Dewey Square in downtown Boston, is part of the Rose Kennedy Greenway, a system of parks managed entirely through organic land management.

By Derek Bolivar and Alexandra Hiple

W

hile not yet widespread, organic land management is gaining traction around the country as more is learned about the downsides of synthetic fertilizers, herbicides and pesticides. While not without challenges, organic practices are cropping up around the country and there’s a lot to be learned from the people and parks at the forefront of this movement.

Integrated Pest Management vs.

Organic Land Management So, what is an organic park? These parks are managed under one of two approaches: integrated pest management (IPM) or organic land management (OLM). Both aim to steward the land in a low-impact way that is more in line with natural ecosystem processes, and reduce the use of synthetic fertilizers and pesticides, though to varying degrees.

36 Parks & Recreation

The focus of IPM is just that: pests. The less strict of the two organic approaches, it allows for use of traditional chemical treatments when necessary. IPM is essentially an approach to scaling back on synthetics and relies on routine inspection, monitoring and reporting to identify a threshold for pest populations. If that threshold is crossed, synthetic pesticides may be applied to limit the amount of damage. The

| M A R C H 2 0 1 9 | W W W. PA R K S A N D R E C R E AT I O N . O R G

same goes for weeds. To prevent unwanted plants from spreading, land managers develop thresholds that are specific to the site based on an understanding of native species and tailored to streamline labor and herbicide applications.

In contrast, OLM programs do not use any synthetic fertilizers, pesticides or herbicides. Along with the close monitoring and knowledge of the local ecosystem required in IPM, OLM approaches may also utilize organic fertilizers and means of removing pests and weeds. Organic fertilizers are nutrient-rich, natural substances derived from animal and vegetable matter, such as manure, peat or chicken lit-

ter, which are rich with nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium.

These are slower-acting than conventional fertilizers since they take longer for the plants to break down, but practitioners of organic horticulture have developed some methods to improve this response time, such as compost tea. In this process, natural fertilizers are mixed with microbes to help break them down, and then steeped in water, just like tea. The tea is ultimately applied in spot treatments or by spraying the liquid on the desired area. Compost tea has helped the Rose Kennedy Greenway in Boston — a system of parks managed entirely through OLM — reduce its fertilizer applications by 50 percent, according to Horticulture Foreman Anthony Ruggiero.

The most common method of organic weed management is “mechanical” — removal by hand. While tedious and time-consuming, this is the most effective way to remove unwanted plants and control growth. Other methods include spot spraying with steam or boiling vinegar, and using grazing animals, such as goats, on a large weed infestation. Both steam and vinegar have their downfalls: vinegar produces inconsistent results that vary by weed species, while steam machines can cost more than $20,000, which makes them a far less desirable method of weed management.

And, although it’s fun to imagine a herd of goats roaming around cities devouring weeds, this often isn’t feasible for many reasons.

For now, it mostly comes down to good old people power.

The Downside of Synthetic Fertilizers At the heart of all organic management approaches is the concept of “right plant, right place.” Ruggiero advises: “If a plant is not successful in its current environment, don’t waste time and resources trying to make it work. Organics is about getting the right species with proper soil management for that given environment to ensure plant or turf success.” Choosing species that will thrive where planted is the key to an organic approach that works.

While quick-acting and effective, there are many cons to conventional approaches that use synthetic materials. Synthetic fertilizers are made from petroleum or salt byproducts. The compounds used in these fertilizers are water soluble and break down easily in soil, so they quickly provide nutrients to plants, often within 48 hours. Much like carbo-loading or a sugar rush, this gives plants a quick jolt of nutrients, which result in rapid growth. These growth periods often don’t last long though, sometimes not even a full month. The short bursts of growth mean plants are often not able to establish a proper root system, which is crucial for retaining water and nutrients, as well as for strengthening the plant against disease, pests, and wear and tear by park visitors. In addition, extended use of synthetic fertilizers over time depletes the soil of nutrients, making it dependent on frequent applications of chemicals.

Your Embankment Slide Experts

We supply long and short straight, wide, wave, curved and bannister embankment slides in Stainless Steel.

Plus, many designs offered in plastic too.

All are made in the USA.

Contact us at 1-800/547-1940 or HQ@timberform.com

www.TimberForm.com Columbia Cascade ®

W W W. PA R K S A N D R E C R E AT I O N . O R G | M A R C H 2 0 1 9 |

Parks & Recreation

37

CONSERVATION

noxyacetic acid (known as 2, 4-D).

While the use of these substances is allowed in the United States and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency classifies glyphosate as not likely to be carcinogenic, the International Agency for Research on Cancer has labeled both glyphosate and 2, 4-D as possible carcinogens.

There are currently more than 400 lawsuits filed against the Monsanto Company by cancer survivors and the families of cancer victims.

These lawsuits blame the Monsanto herbicide Roundup, in which the active ingredient is glyphosate, for causing non-Hodgkin’s Lymphoma.

Beyond human health effects, pesticides are detrimental to many other species, including important pollinators. Some types of neonicitoids, a common insecticide, have been banned in Europe because of their disastrous effect on honeybee populations. Water contamination is also a concern: runoff and leaching from both pesticides and fertilizers can cause algal blooms, presenting further hazards to a broader range of ecosystems.

The use of compost tea has helped Boston’s Rose Kennedy Greenway reduce its fertilizer applications by 50 percent.

38 Parks & Recreation

Synthetics can do even more damage beyond impacting the stability of a system. Pesticides and herbicides pose serious health threats to anyone who is exposed to the chemicals. In high-traffic spaces, like city parks, this is a cause for concern. Two major ingredients found in common pesticides are glyphosate and 2, 4-dichlorophe-

| M A R C H 2 0 1 9 | W W W. PA R K S A N D R E C R E AT I O N . O R G

Organic Management Challenges These are some scary implications that come with the use of conventional fertilizers and pesticides, especially when applied to beloved and heavily used places like city parks. Luckily, integrated pest management and organic land management offer a way around this by helping scale back the use of these substances or by offering an alternative to using them at all.

However, organic management is not without challenges, with public attitude, perhaps, being the biggest hurdle. While many people are aware of the threats posed by syn-

thetic fertilizers and pesticides, a lack of significant regulations at a federal level means there is often no impetus for change. As people and communities learn more about IPM or OLM methods and see peers attempting to go organic, general support and acceptance is likely to build.

Cost is often the No. 1 concern when it comes to city park management, but, fortunately, it isn’t a major issue for organic approaches. While IPM and OLM can cost the same as a conventional program at the outset and, occasionally, slightly more because of more rigorous maintenance needs, organics often offer a budget break down the line, as the park system becomes independent of the repeated application of synthetics.

There are currently less than 40 communities nationwide that have developed or implemented a complete OLM program for their green spaces, though IPM programs are more common. As practice shifts away from conventional approaches, advocacy groups and university extensions will likely be at the forefront of this effort, and municipalities will also play a major role in influencing change as they continue to seek initiatives and programs that align with organic goals. Finally, land managers and community members need to be further educated on best practices, as well as the costs and benefits of organic land management.

Currently, sharing of information between practicing commu-

nities is limited. Most organic networks are regional and, where they do exist, are often geared toward management in rural areas, especially farming and gardening. Heavily used parks, especially those in cities, are a particularly important piece of this equation, and park managers are uniquely poised to be leaders in this change.

Detailed references for this article are available at www.parksand recreation.org/2019/March/man aging-city-parks-without-synthetic -pesticides-or-fertilizers..

Alexandra Hiple is Program Manager for the Center for City Park Excellence at The Trust for Public Land (alexandra.hiple@ tpl.org). Derek Bolivar is a former Research Intern with the Center for City Park Excellence at The Trust for Public Land (derek.bolivar@tpl.org).

W W W. PA R K S A N D R E C R E AT I O N . O R G | M A R C H 2 0 1 9 |

Parks & Recreation

39

H E A LT H & W E L L N E S S

Active People, Healthy NationSM in Parks: Creating a More Active America, Together

By Qaiser Mukhtar, Heather Devlin and Janet Fulton

T

he Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recently launched the Active People, Healthy NationSM (http://tinyurl. com/y5jratrc) initiative to help 27 million Americans become more physically active by 2027. Park, recreation facilities and public health agencies can work together toward achieving this ambitious goal. person’s health, and the guidelines encourage adults to increase physical activity and reduce sitting time.

However, many Americans do not obtain enough physical activity for health benefits.

Parks and recreational facilities can help Americans increase their physical activity.

Parks and recreational facilities offer easy and accessible opportunities for physical activity while having fun with family and friends. People are more likely to be physically active in parks that are well-maintained, safe, located near their homes and offer facilities that support physical activity.

Free or low-cost access to a range of indoor and outdoor facilities can help families be physically active together.

PHOTO COURTESY OF THE CENTERS FOR DISEASE CONTROL AND PREVENTION

Physical activity has many benefits.

The new Physical Activity Guidelines for Americans, 2nd edition (http:// tinyurl.com/ycbovoqr) reinforce that physical activity is one of the best things people can do for their health. Through regular physical activity, people can feel, function and sleep better and prevent or delay many chronic diseases, such as heart disease and cancer. Adults need at least 150 minutes of moderate-intensity activity (e.g., 30 minutes, five days a week) and two days of muscle strengthening a week to achieve substantial health benefits.

The new guidelines also highlight that even short periods of physical activity can have health benefits.

Sitting too much is detrimental to a

40 Parks & Recreation

| M A R C H 2 0 1 9 | W W W. PA R K S A N D R E C R E AT I O N . O R G

Community park and recreation facilities can promote physical activity for people of all ages and abilities. Families and young people often visit parks or recreational facilities for play or for structured activities, such as soccer or tennis.

Older adults prefer parks with trees, birdlife, benches and spaces where they can engage in group activities, such as Tai Chi or walking clubs.

Improving community design so people can safely walk or bike to local parks also can promote physical activity. Safe and comfortable routes that offer protection from cars can make it convenient for families with children, young people and older adults to get to nearby parks. Parks located close to public transit can be accessed by people who cannot drive (i.e., youths or older adults) and residents of communities without access to parks within walking distance. Residential proximity to parks varies by state and county, and only 39 percent of the U.S. population lives within one-half mile of a park. Increasing park access for all Americans will require multisector collaboration and commitment.

The CDC supports the use of park and recreational facilities as one way to increase physical activity.

The CDC’s Division of Nutrition, Physical Activity and Obesity funds states, universities and community organizations to implement proven community-based strategies to increase healthy eating and active living (http://tinyurl. com/y42kqjn3). The CDC encour-

ages partnerships with park and recreation facilities to implement these strategies. To increase physical activity, the CDC supports connecting activity-friendly routes to everyday destinations (http://tinyurl.com/ yydtw8ht), such as parks.

CDC-funded public health programs have collaborated with park and recreation facilities to increase physical activity. For example, South Los Angeles (http:// tinyurl.com/y2y4hpnp) established community plans for 18 new parks and adopted zoning and land-use policies for increasing access to parks via walking, biking and other active modes of transportation.

Opportunities to create a more active America, together.

Parks, recreation facilities and public health agencies can use their partner networks, resources and skills to support Active People, Healthy NationSM. Active partnerships between local parks, recreation facilities and public health agencies can increase access to existing physical activity opportunities through shared or open-use agreements, flexible operating hours and affordable membership. Cross-sector partners working to improve walkability through policy, zoning and master planning can help to increase and sustain equitable park access and quality.

Communitywide outreach can help support Americans to meet physical activity guidelines by raising awareness about physical activity opportunities offered by local parks. Messages, signage and images that promote parkbased physical activity are available to communities at low or no cost through resources, such as the State and Community Health Media Center (https://nccd.cdc. gov/schmc/apps/overview.aspx).

Evaluating efforts to connect neighborhoods with local parks through safe and convenient routes can help improve strategies for increasing equitable access to parks. Public health agencies, parks and recreation facilities also can share lessons learned from implementing and evaluating programs, such as Safe Routes to Parks (www.nrpa.org/safe-routes-toparks) or the 10-Minute Walk (www.10minutewalk.org) to increase park-based physical activity.

Data that connect park and trail planning to public health goals can highlight the positive role and impact of parks on community health. Collaborating to collect and analyze data on park access and use may help with making strategic decisions about what is needed to improve park access, facilities and use for health benefits.

Conclusion Public health agencies, parks and recreation facilities can leverage their complementary strengths and resources to improve walkable access to safe and convenient park and recreation facilities. Creating equitable access to parks in underserved areas also can be a shared goal. Public health agencies, parks and recreation facilities working together can help build a physically active and healthier America.

Note: The findings and conclusions in this report are those of the authors and do not necessarily represent the official position of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Detailed resources are available at www.parksandrecreation. org/2019/March/active-people-healthy-nation-in-parks-cre​ ating-a-more-active-America-together.

Qaiser Mukhtar, Health Scientist (qam2@cdc.gov), Heather Devlin, Lead Health Scientist, and Janet Fulton, Branch Chief, work with the Physical Activity and Health Branch, Division of Nutrition, Physical Activity, and Obesity National Center for Chronic Disease Prevention and Health Promotion, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Ď€ SHIPPING SUPPLY SPECIALISTS

OVER 2,600 JANITORIAL PRODUCTS IN STOCK

ORDER BY 6 PM FOR SAME DAY SHIPPING

COMPLETE CATALOG

1-800-295-5510

uline.com

W W W. PA R K S A N D R E C R E AT I O N . O R G | M A R C H 2 0 1 9 |

Parks & Recreation

41

Members of the Fishers Mayor’s Youth Council listen to Fishers Assistant Director of Water Quality Jonathan Valenta on a tour of the local wastewater treatment plant.

Connecting Residents with Local Parks and Government Through Educational Partnerships

By Daniel Domsic

I

n a small section of a school library in Fishers, Indiana, Danesa Stolz, chief naturalist at Fishers Parks & Recreation, tells listening first graders a myth about the symbiotic relationship a tree has with woodpeckers as the seasons change and the tree counts on the birds to rid it of parasites. The storytelling is just one part of the lesson being taught as part of the Nature First program, a special partnership between the park department and its local school district, Hamilton Southeastern (HSE) Schools.

The creation of Nature First was a pivotal moment for this young park department that serves about 90,000 residents in the suburb of Indianapolis, Indiana. After a summer study with local teachers and administrators, Stolz built the program to capitalize on the popularity of a favorite, local park, Ritchey Woods Nature Preserve, a strong relationship with the HSE Schools

42 Parks & Recreation

District and the ability to craft programming that meets Indiana Department of Education standards.

Back at the library, after the students hear the myth, they learn a lesson about measuring and use it to ascertain the age of a Sugar Maple tree. This exercise is combined with an explanation on photosynthesis and how maple syrup is made. At the end of it all, the students taste

| M A R C H 2 0 1 9 | W W W. PA R K S A N D R E C R E AT I O N . O R G

test real and fake maple syrup and even get a treat, a maple candy, made after a certain percentage of water is boiled off Sugar Maple sap.

The students will continue their learning with study trips to Ritchey Woods Nature Preserve in the spring, connecting their young minds with local natural resources, while meeting the standards their teachers would have covered in the classroom. Nature First would set the bar for this type of programming at Fishers Parks & Recreation.

Getting Teenagers Involved The Fishers Parks & Recreation department partners with every firstgrade classroom throughout the

PHOTOS COURTESY OF SUSAN DAVIS

SOCIAL EQUITY

Fishers, Indiana first graders, participating in the Nature First program, connect with nature during a visit to the Ritchey Woods Nature Preserve.

entire school district, meaning every child who starts out with HSE Schools will have a personal, educational experience in a local park.

This program is just one experience Fishers Parks & Recreation has built in partnership with the school district.

Older kids have a different programmatic outlet. High school juniors and seniors in Fishers can take advantage of the Fishers Mayor’s Youth Council. This academic, year-long program provides students with insights and hands-on experiences with public-sector careers, while giving them an opportunity to work with senior-level staff and elected officials on policy positions. This experience includes the chance to possibly advise Fishers City Council on issues that are important to the students.

At the beginning of the year, members of the Youth Council tour the Waste Water Treatment Plant and learn about what happens after they flush their toilets or turn on and off their kitchen faucets. The program will eventually take them out for mock training with Fishers Fire & EMS, and during another session, the students will walk through the Hamilton County Jail — getting an up-close look at the criminal justice system.

When Mayor’s Youth Council members aren’t having these upclose experiences, it’s common to see a group of them working with Fishers Mayor Scott Fadness and Deputy Mayor Leah McGrath on various policy concepts. Only time will tell if they’ll be ready to take their big ideas about where their community should go to community leaders and elected officials.

Continuing Education for Adults Why should education that connects people to the public sector and local

parks stop with secondary education? Many adults enjoy the chance to continue learning, and the Fishers City Government Academy provides them with an inside look at how local government operates. It is a free, 10-week-long program that takes residents through a curriculum taught by city of Fishers’ department directors and covers everything from the Fishers police department to planning and zoning and the city court.

The program, which currently runs twice per year, provides city of Fishers staff with the opportunity to tell their departments’ stories and illustrate that passionate people are doing a lot every day to make Fishers a great place to live.

And, in turn, taxpayers have direct access to the leaders they expect to make decisions in their best interest.

Essentially, the playing field is level, and they get to ask questions — whether those questions are about a new street project or how the city approaches economic development.

Program participants have gone on to volunteer on boards and commissions, serve on the city council, play an immense role in local and regional economic development and generally help the community.

Impact of This Engagement Success with Nature First, the Fishers Mayor’s Youth Council and Fishers City Government Academy is pushing Fishers Parks & Recreation to be bold about its programming and how it partners with the community. The department stands side by side with teachers in our community, and its experiences tell it to pursue these ventures.

Today, Fishers Parks & Recreation cannot measure the exact value of a high school junior or senior having a

better idea of what it means — and what education is required — to run an effective operation that cleans what is eventually drinking water.

However, we know that the Mayor’s Youth Council exposes them to career paths they might not have considered — right before they leave the structure of high school. Today, the department cannot measure the exact value of a first grader having a meaningful connection with the local nature preserve, but we know that Fishers Parks & Recreation will have played a significant role in their learning experience. And, today, the department has seen the positive community service City Government Academy participants have gone on to do.

It is no myth that parks and recreation can, and should, play a substantial role in how everyone, from the first graders to the adult taxpayers, in a community learns and how that learning can impact the community.

Daniel Domsic is the Community Engagement & Volunteer Manager for Fishers Parks & Recreation (domsicd@fishers.in.us).

W W W. PA R K S A N D R E C R E AT I O N . O R G | M A R C H 2 0 1 9 |

Parks & Recreation

43

PHOTOS COURTESY OF CITY OF TEMPE, ARIZONA

Tempe Parks Get Some

44 Parks & Recreation

| M A R C H 2 0 1 9 | W W W. PA R K S A N D R E C R E AT I O N . O R G

TLC City dedicates more than $60 million to park renovations and upgrades

By Vitisia Paynich

O

n June 18, 2018, 800–1,000 Tempe residents gathered at Kiwanis Park for the grand opening of The Cloud, a new 5,000-square-foot splash playground designed especially for kids 0–12 years old. And, for anyone who has ever visited this Arizona city in the summer, where average temperatures can soar well above 100 degrees, a bit of water play and plenty of shaded areas are always a welcomed relief.

W W W. PA R K S A N D R E C R E AT I O N . O R G | M A R C H 2 0 1 9 |

Parks & Recreation

45

T E M P E PA R K S

The Cloud, however, represents just one of 30 park renovation projects completed by the city of Tempe to date, with several more projects undergoing various stages of planning, public input, design or construction.

In this next installment of our parks transforming cities, towns and communities series, Parks & Recreation highlights a few noteworthy park projects in Tempe, Arizona.

(2) existing assets, (3) customer enhancements and (4) system expansion and new amenities.

“We have been very fortunate that our mayor and city council have made improving parks a priority — and even just addressing the infrastructure that exists within our park system,” says Craig Hayton, parks manager for the city of Tempe.

“They’ve always been supportive.”

The Initial Plan

Broadening Its Focus

Tempe is a landlocked city that stretches about 40 square miles and features 40 neighborhood parks, multiple community parks, sports complexes, two preserves, two golf courses and a spring training facility.

About two years ago, the Tempe City Council approved the Parks Capital Improvements Plan, which allocated $32 million over a fiveyear period toward renovating its city parks. What’s more, project funding was prioritized based on four elements: (1) public health,

Although the city had initially earmarked $32 million toward revitalizing existing parks, the mayor and city council were thinking bigger. Hayton says those funds were more focused on bringing Tempe’s neighborhood parks up to date. However, when the city broadened its Parks Capital Improvements Plan budget to include community services and public works — areas that serve the city’s park system — it discovered it had a much wider funding balance totaling a little more than $60 million.

Tempe, Arizona’s Selleh Park was the first playground renovation project to receive full rubber surfacing.

46 Parks & Recreation

| M A R C H 2 0 1 9 | W W W. PA R K S A N D R E C R E AT I O N . O R G

He explains that city officials understood that Tempe’s park system as a whole needed some updating, because some of the infrastructure had exceeded its useful lifespan.

“We’re now looking at the entire park system, not just some of the deficiencies that we’ve identified within the neighborhood parks, which is where that $32 million [figure] came from,” notes Hayton.

Thus, the city retooled its approach by embracing a strategy that emphasizes asset-management-based improvements within parks. Hayton says, “Rather than taking our different 40-plus neighborhood parks and saying, ‘We’re going to [concentrate on] two or three projects a year,’ and just go in and redo an entire park, we actually are looking now at the systems that exist within our park system.”

To help direct the decision-making process on park projects not associated with health and safety or related to the maintenance of existing amenities, city staff established a points system that identifies a park’s base amenities by park size. Each park is ranked by the number of points it receives — parks with fewer base amenities will take precedence over parks that are better equipped. This system is meant to create equity among all parks throughout Tempe, ensuring that park amenities remain consistent across the board. Base amenities include: • 25 trees per acre • Playgrounds: central play structure, individual components, shade, inclusive play equipment and ADA surfacing • Ramadas: covered picnic areas • Furnishings: picnic tables, benches, drinking fountains, trash/recycling containers and pet-bag dispensers In addition to increasing the tree

canopy (25 trees per acre), Hayton says the city looks at sustainability from multiple perspectives: social, financial and environmental. “Specific to the environmental perspective, Tempe produces its own compost from green waste collections and uses it to build the soil structure in many city parks,” he adds. “We are implementing a formal integrated pest management program, which has a goal of reducing chemical use in the city. We are also testing floating islands in one of our parks to gauge its effectiveness as a natural water filter in the city’s ponds to positively influence water quality” [see the Park Bench story on page 80].

Aside from strong summer monsoon storms, Tempe has fairly mild weather throughout the year, and, according to Hayton, the emphasis for renovations has been on ensuring safety, accessibility and durability.

The Cloud Makes a Splash!

As one of Tempe’s largest parks, Kiwanis Park boasts 125 acres featuring a 13-acre lake ideal for fishing enthusiasts, two picnic areas, four softball fields, a recreation center, gymnasium, indoor wave pool, fitness center, batting range and a 15-court tennis facility. Many nearby residents enjoy the park on a daily basis to bicycle, jog and walk, as well as partake in a variety of health and fitness programs offered through the city.

A few years ago, the city was searching for a large area to host a new splash play area for its youth.

The previous splash playground at Tempe Beach Park, located downtown, needed costly repairs to its main infrastructure and equipment, causing a major dilemma for city officials. “One option was to relocate,” says Keith Burke, Tempe’s community services director.

The Cloud at Kiwanis Park is a $1.7 million splash playground, featuring water sprays and jets, multicolor loops and misting pillars.

The mayor and city council believed the splash playground would be better suited somewhere else in the city and away from the busy downtown area. “And so, there was a push to find the best location,” Burke recalls.

“Kiwanis Park is centrally located within Tempe, so it provides a really great opportunity and plenty of parking for those who want to travel here,” says Shawn Wagner, Tempe’s community services manager. Thus, Kiwanis Park was chosen as the site for the new-build.

The next step was soliciting community input. The parks and rec team began hosting community meetings at the local library to discuss what residents wanted for the splash playground design and to encourage residents to complete online survey forms. “We also visited local elementary schools and that was where a lot of our inspiration came from,” explains Wagner, “talking with the youth who were going to be using the [splash playground].”

Work crews broke ground in January 2018 on the project, which took six months to complete. The $1.7 million design, named The Cloud, features myriad water

sprays and jets — including swizzle sticks and jelly sticks — along with multicolor loops and misting pillars perfect for cooling off during hot summer days. “The Cloud itself has a rain ring, where water will fall and then spray on the kids,” notes Wagner. “It’s also ADA accessible, so we’ve ensured there’s plenty of room for folks to move around and have that clearance not only on the inside, but on the outside, we have a water-free zone” that enables a person in an electric wheelchair or scooter to move around the area with ease.

Other design features include shaded-canopy seating areas. “For parents, having that available is a big plus,” says Wagner, because they appreciate that they can keep an eye on their kids away from the water, while being able to socialize with their neighbors and friends.

The highlight of The Cloud is, undoubtedly, the “storm sequence,” whereby water pours down from the middle of the splash pad’s canopy while sound effects of a thunderstorm and chirping birds play overhead. Wagner says the storm sequence is even more impressive at night with the addition of

W W W. PA R K S A N D R E C R E AT I O N . O R G | M A R C H 2 0 1 9 |

Parks & Recreation

47

T E M P E PA R K S

multicolored lights. The Cloud is open from 8 a.m. to 10 p.m., April through October.

“Another great feature about this is that we designed the playground so that we could have the out-ofseason use as well,” Wagner points out. “Those above-ground elements that we have are detachable. We can store them, put a cover plate on [the area] and then it becomes a community plaza — where we could do different things, like yoga, spoken word and concerts in the park. We have a speaker system there, so we can actually wire that in and folks could have ample sound for their city programs.”

What do community members think about their new splash playground? “We opened on June 18, and it was packed on a daily basis after that opening,” says Wagner.

Kiwanis Tennis Center Located in Kiwanis Park, the Kiwanis Tennis Center has been serving the Tempe community for the past 43 years. The facility boasts 15 courts, two practice courts and offers instructional tennis classes

along with competitive league play.

However, Wagner says he and his team began noticing the years of wear and tear on the foundation, such as cracks in the asphalt subbase beneath the cushioned surface that forced the closure of some tennis courts. This prompted them to submit the necessary paperwork with the city to make improvements to the tennis center.

“We were fortunate enough to be able to secure that funding to completely renovate our tennis center here,” Wagner says.

Work on this $3.4 million revitalization project began in spring 2018, which required demolishing the existing tennis courts and building new ones with post-tension concrete surfaces. “These should last another 40–50 years with proper maintenance and care,” he contends. “It’s the same surface that they use at the Australian Open, so it’s a slightly cushioned concrete surface but still provides excellent grip and play inbound.”

The lighting also required a facelift. “We were actually able to replace our old lights with LED

lighting,” Wagner says. “We also increased the height just a little bit of our tennis lighting and were able to reduce the amount of light poles that we have.” Previously, there were 39 light poles measuring 30 feet high; today, there are 17 poles that are 50 feet high. Crews also installed new nets, bleachers and court seating, as well as an internet dish to offer patrons free Wi-Fi. One of the most unique characteristics of the project is the addition of Playsite. This digital technology features two high-definition cameras installed on all 15 courts. One camera placed on the north end of the court and another one placed on the south end. Both cameras record players’ serves, volleys and strokes.

The system also offers analytics on ball speed and whether a ball is hit inside or outside the line. What’s more, the system’s live-streaming feature allows players’ family and friends to watch their matches in real time from anywhere in the world.

In January 2019, the Kiwanis Tennis Center welcomed about 300 people to its grand re-opening to introduce the community to its newly upgraded facility. “Since re-opening, we’ve seen a lot of youths, and we’re excited to see where we go from here,” says Wagner.

Selleh Park In April 1972, the city of Tempe named 6.3 acres of parkland in honor of Joe Selleh, a beloved proprietor and pillar of the community who came to the city in 1928. Now more than 43 years later, Selleh Park has a new lease on life.

Following a public process that

A portion of the roughly 300 people who attended the January 2019 grand re-opening of the newly renovated Kiwanis Tennis Center.

48 Parks & Recreation

| M A R C H 2 0 1 9 | W W W. PA R K S A N D R E C R E AT I O N . O R G

The Kiwanis Tennis Center courts have post-tension concrete surfaces, the same surface used at the Australian Open.

included community input, the city finalized a design for improvements to the park. The project, which totaled $450,000, was among the first playground renovations through the city’s new asset-management approach. Work didn’t begin, however, until late 2016.

The project features a full playground structure, swings and other park equipment — such as picnic tables and benches. According to Hayton, Selleh Park was also the first playground project to receive full rubber surfacing.

Additional design amenities include walkway paths leading to and through the playground area, installation of LED lighting in the playground and along walkways, replacement of lights in two basketball courts with LED and replacement of the asphalt path around the pond with concrete.

In March 2017, the city held a grand re-opening to commemorate the new playground and completed renovation of Selleh Park.

Svob Park Svob Park is named after community leader Robert M. Svob. Built in 1984, this 7.8-acre park features a baseball diamond, basketball courts and a soccer field. In 2017, the city began renovations on the park.

The improvements planned for this project also included a complete renovation of its playground, which also called for full rubber surfacing. “The playground was really in the middle of the park,” notes Hayton. “We added some sidewalks that went from the basketball court, over and through the playground, and even connected to the north side of the park.”

The work crew also replaced the old lighting with LED lighting in the park. Other improvements include

the addition of trash and recyclable containers, benches and tables.

During that time, additional trees were planted in Svob Park as a separate project. “This was one of the first parks where we had 25 trees per acre, which is one of our targets,” Hayton explains.

The Svob Park renovation project was completed in December 2017 and totaled $400,000.

Reaping the Rewards To gauge the success of the city’s Capital Improvements Plan, Tempe goes through a public process prior to each project to get feedback from the neighborhood on the design, equipment and other features that are being added to their parks. “We view the completion of each project as a success,” Hayton asserts. “Each is a reflection of the community — a space where neighbors can gather and take their families to play for years to come.

We also pay close attention to managing budgets, keeping projects on schedule, and keeping neighbors informed of the work being done.”

In terms of setting aside money for any future maintenance of these parks, Hayton says maintenance of city parks is funded by the city as part of the budget process and there are no plans for that to change. “Some park improvements actually help reduce maintenance

costs — since the equipment is newer, less costly to repair or lasts longer, like LED lighting,” he explains. “We are also cognizant that maintenance can increase through [extended] use or additional amenities. Fortunately, our Capital Improvements Plan budget process allows us to identify any increased operational impacts, which would require additional funding, to ensure ongoing maintenance needs are also identified and requested.”

With 30 park projects under their belt, Tempe’s park and recreation staffers are seeing firsthand how these improvements are enhancing patrons’ overall park experience.

“I think the main way is that these improvements provide both active and passive experiences within a park,” says Hayton.

Burke adds, “I think park and recreation programs and the parks themselves play a big part in creating and shaping your neighborhood, as well as working with families as they grow up together.”

“Ultimately, we want parks to be places where people can enjoy a healthy lifestyle through physical activity or can simply find rest,” says Hayton. “I think both of those things are necessary for our community.”

Vitisia Paynich is a Southern California-based Freelance Writer for Parks and Recreation magazine.

W W W. PA R K S A N D R E C R E AT I O N . O R G | M A R C H 2 0 1 9 |

Parks & Recreation

49

Commit to Health Fulfilling Park and Recreation’s Role as a Health and Wellness Leader

By Allison Colman

I

t’s been five years since NRPA’s CEO, Barbara Tulipane, CAE, stood alongside former First Lady Michelle Obama to announce NRPA’s formal commitment to Partnership for a Healthier America (PHA) and officially launch the Commit to Health campaign on February 25, 2014. In their remarks that day, both Tulipane and Obama spoke about the childhood obesity epidemic, the rising rates of chronic disease, the difficulty families face in making the healthy choice the easy choice and the toll these issues are taking on the physical, social and economic health of our communities. Both referenced the shocking statistic that made childhood obesity Obama’s official platform — the fact that for the first time in history, this generation of youth has a shorter life expectancy than their parents’ generation.

Despite the grim statistics that were cited, that day also provided a moment of excitement, inspiration and recognition for parks and recreation. It was a day that called to action the collective power of the park and recreation field to build on its strengths, rise to the challenge and “Commit to Health,” fulfilling our role as essential health and wellness leaders. In the past five years, local park and recreation agencies have not only risen to the challenge and delivered, but they also have exceeded our expectations.

50 Parks & Recreation

Commit to Health In 2014, NRPA made a formal commitment to the PHA to engage park and recreation-based, out-of-school time (OST) sites in the implementation of the National Afterschool Association’s Healthy Eating and Physical Activity (HEPA) standards.

The HEPA standards address the quality of food, physical activity, nutrition education programming and the environment within OST sites, ensuring that kids in grades K–12 have the best possible health and wellness

| M A R C H 2 0 1 9 | W W W. PA R K S A N D R E C R E AT I O N . O R G

ROBERT KNESCHKE/ALAMY STOCK PHOTO

C O M M I T TO H E A LT H

Moderate to vigorous physical activity, along with nutrition, is part of the daily Healthy Eating and Physical Activity (HEPA) standards.

outcomes. The HEPA standards include serving a fruit or vegetable at every meal, providing water at all times, limiting screen time, ensuring that youth are meeting the daily recommendations for moderate to vigorous physical activity and providing evidence-based nutrition education. NRPA partners with the Alliance for a Healthier Generation (AHG) to ensure that sites have the tools needed to assess their OST sites, set goals and create an action plan to meet the standards, track their progress and access resources to support their efforts. After five years of partnership, 2,080 sites are implementing the HEPA standards through Commit to Health, reaching nearly 500,000 youth annually.

Building on Existing Strengths Park and recreation agencies have an extensive reach into communities nationwide, especially in the services they provide to youth and families. Kellie May, NRPA’s director of health and wellness, shares that “park and recreation agencies are located in nearly every community and serve a large number of children, 52 Parks & Recreation

including low-income children and families, and those from historically marginalized populations. Daily, park and recreation agencies provide fun, physical activity opportunities, frequently serve meals and/or snacks to children and offer enrichment activities, making park and recreation agencies ideal locations for children to learn healthy habits and grow up to live healthy lives.”

Through Commit to Health, park and recreation agencies were challenged to build on this strong foundation of providing physical activity and meals to youth and take steps to enhance these elements to meet the HEPA standards. For example, thousands of park and recreation sites provide meals during the summer months to low-income children through the federally funded USDA Summer Food Service Program (SFSP). But, what is the quality of the food being served? Commit to Health served as a catalyst for park and recreation agencies to assess and improve the quality of food provided at sites. Hundreds of agencies have worked with meal program sponsors and vendors to completely revamp their menus, serving more

| M A R C H 2 0 1 9 | W W W. PA R K S A N D R E C R E AT I O N . O R G

fruits and vegetables, healthier milk and dairy options, and eliminating trans fats, fried foods and sugar-sweetened beverages from their menus. Some agencies have even pushed the envelope and adopted official citywide wellness policies that improve food quality at concession stands, swimming pools, in vending machines and more.

The same is true for physical activity. Although it wasn’t hard for most sites to ensure kids were meeting the daily recommendations for physical activity, it was helpful to take a step back and really evaluate the activities that were taking place.

Were the physical activities age-appropriate? Were they inclusive?

Were kids spending more time moving or more time standing in line?

Was the activity fun? Park and recreation agencies responded to this call to action to meet the standards.

Fitness professionals were brought in to instruct classes like Zumba and kickboxing, they encouraged youth to create their own games, added short physical activity bursts throughout the day and trained their staff on how to ensure programs were inclusive for all abilities.

Ava DeBovis, national network manager for AHG, elaborated on the achievements of park and recreation agencies: “P&R professionals across the country have become such passionate champions for children’s health! We have seen Commit to Health give so many communities a public health platform to capitalize on what they do best, providing high-quality outdoor park experiences and recreational programming to youth,

adults and families. I think the greatest successes have been seeing how agencies have made Commit to Health their own. Everything from leading coalitions that bring dollars into their community, nutritious meals at summer camp and refreshed fitness trails in underserved areas, to smoothie bike demonstrations, meaningful staff wellness programs that engage seasonal and full-time staff, and even healthy vending machine marketing! I love to see all the creativity and passion for sustainability.”

In addition to building on meal and physical activity programs, agencies have leveraged other existing assets, capacity and infrastructure to build stronger, more intentional health and wellness opportunities for youth and families. One of the more popular strategies agencies have used to encourage youth to try new, fresh and healthy produce is by infusing gardening into their OST programs.

In fact, according to the 2018 OST survey of the park and recreation field, 50 percent of agencies now offer gardening activities at their OST sites. Through the city of Mobile, Alabama’s Commit to Health pledge, a community garden was built and is open to all. The garden offers youth learning opportunities, such as inviting local chefs in to teach them about the nutritional content of and to cook with food grown in the garden.

Gardens can be an effective way to teach kids how to grow produce, encourage them to try new foods and educate them on creating sustainable and environmentally responsible food systems. Often, this exposure to nature and healthy

food sparks a passion for gardening and an appetite for trying new foods throughout life. A 2017 study of Commit to Health agencies implementing nutrition education and community gardening activities in summer camp programs resulted in a 23 percent increase in the number of children reporting that they were growing fruits and vegetables in a garden at home.

Fulfilling Our Role Commit to Health challenged park and recreation agencies not only to embrace a health and wellness mindset within their OST programming, but it also encouraged them to address other community gaps and public health threats related to the social determinants of health — education, jobs, healthcare, community safety, etc. Park and recreation agencies once again rose to the challenge, building STEM, arts and career-readiness training into their healthy living curriculums; recruiting, engaging and training youth ambassadors to be health and wellness leaders; establishing programming in affordable

housing communities; and facilitating opportunities for intergenerational and multicultural programming. Agencies went above and beyond healthy eating and physical activity, tackling inequities in their communities that create significant health and economic disparities.

At-risk youth in the Atgeld Garden Chicago Housing Authority community can engage in handson gardening and cooking programs at Carver Park. The Chicago Park District partnered with local nonprofit Growing Power, Inc., to employ teens and teach them about sustainable urban farming, culinary skills, healthy meal preparation and composting. In the summer months, more than 100 teens spend their mornings working on the farm and their afternoons enjoying the fruits and vegetables of their labor by preparing healthy meals under the supervision of a chef. Through this partnership, teens are learning lifelong culinary skills and developing healthy habits that will follow them throughout their adult years. In addition, the program offers youth employ-

Children participate in Colarado’s Monte Vista Kids Connection, an afterschool and summer day camp program for San Luis Valley youth.

W W W. PA R K S A N D R E C R E AT I O N . O R G | M A R C H 2 0 1 9 |

Parks & Recreation

53

C O M M I T TO H E A LT H

and preparing foods and using MyPlate to guide their eating choices. An independent evaluation of Commit to Health sites in 2018 found that 96 percent of CTH sites are meeting the daily physical activity recommendations, 87 percent of sites are limiting screen time, 95 percent of sites are providing drinking water at all times to youth and staff, and 89 percent of sites are serving a fruit or vegetable at every meal.

While childhood obesity continues to impact us all, park and recreation leaders have established themselves as an essential component of community health.

The Next Five Years

Childhood obesity continues to impact us all, but park and recreation leaders have established themselves as an essential component of community health.

ment opportunities, keeping them engaged and learning during the summer months.

In just five years, we’ve seen the transformation of OST programs in parks and recreation, evolving from recreation providers to true health and wellness professionals. Since 2016, the number of park and recreation agencies offering nutrition education to youth has doubled (from 32 percent to 64 percent in 2018), and we are seeing results! A 2017 Commit to Health evaluation demonstrated that kids who are receiving nutrition education through NRPA’s Foods of the Month curriculum are consuming more fruits and vegetables, understanding how to read a nutrition label, cooking 54 Parks & Recreation

This generation of youth has its fair share of challenges ahead of it, and new threats emerge each day that are taking a toll on our communities. What will the role of park and recreation agencies be in fostering healthy outcomes for youth and families in the next five years? How can we continue to rise to the challenge and respond to the needs of the communities we serve?

In 2018, the NAA HEPA standards were refreshed (HEPA 2.0), recognizing that the OST field has an even bigger role to play in promoting healthy outcomes for youth across multiple dimensions — physical, mental, social, emotional and economic health. Daniel Hatcher, director of community partnerships at Healthier Gen, provided some context for the HEPA standards refresh: “The refresh was in response to feedback from educators and leaders across the country, and it has allowed us to update key action planning tools and professional development resources to encourage the integration of social-emotional health into the implementation of the standards, a critical step in re-

| M A R C H 2 0 1 9 | W W W. PA R K S A N D R E C R E AT I O N . O R G

sponding to contemporary issues facing our communities. HEPA 2.0 encourages users to find opportunities to blend nutrition, physical activity and social-supports.”

Park and recreation agencies are already leading in this expanded focus on health. In the city of Montrose, Colorado, the summer program staff made sure children had an opportunity to share and express their feelings during programming.

“If they were upset, we wanted them to make sure our environment empowered them to express their feelings. Some of the children we serve come from challenging homes; to be heard is important for their well-being. As leaders, we practiced our communication skills as well. We didn’t yell, we role modeled appropriate conversations skills. We would see that during the program these skills would be modeled by the children to their friends if they had disagreements. They expressed themselves and learned to resolve their issues on their own.”

NRPA will continue to lead agencies to think more holistically about health in their communities, better preparing OST professionals to support both physical and mental health outcomes. May says: “NRPA’s hope is that through the strong foundation that Commit to Health has laid, park and recreation OST programs will continue to provide physical activity and healthy food options but will also provide support for children’s mental and social-emotional health through mentoring and other types of targeted services. We know that P&R can often provide that one caring adult who changes a child’s life forever.”

Allison Colman (she/her/hers) is an NRPA Senior Program Manager (acolman@nrpa.org).

5 YEARS OF Over 2,000 park and recreation sites are successfully implementing the evidence-based healthy eating and physical activity standards, inspiring communities to eat healthier and move more!

SINCE 2014, 2,080 PARK AND RECREATION SITES HAVE PLEDGED TO COMMIT TO HEALTH SINCE 2016, THE NUMBER OF AGENCIES OFFERING NUTRITION EDUCATION IN OST PROGRAMS HAS DOUBLED

87%

OF SITES ARE LIMITING SCREEN TIME

386

TOTAL AGENCIES HAVE JOINED THE MOVEMENT TO COMMIT TO HEALTH

86%

OF SITES ARE SERVING A FRUIT OR VEGETABLE

50%

OF SITES ARE OFFERING GARDENING ACTIVITIES

481,240

YOUTH HAVE IMPROVED ACCESS TO HEALTHY FOODS AND PHYSICAL ACTIVITY OPPORTUNITIES ANNUALLY

96%

OF COMMIT TO HEALTH SITES ARE MEETING THE DAILY PHYSICAL ACTIVITY RECOMMENDATIONS

The Renovation Parks Build Community Project 2019

56 Parks & Recreation

| M A R C H 2 0 1 9 | W W W. PA R K S A N D R E C R E AT I O N . O R G

of Baltimore’s ABC Park

By Suzanne Nathan

E

ach year since 2008, the National Recreation and Park Association (NRPA) organizes a complete park makeover in partnership with a local park agency, park equipment manufacturers and community organizations within the city hosting the NRPA Annual Conference.

This annual project, Parks Build Community (PBC), represents the transformative power of parks in communities and how they address NRPA’s three pillars – Conservation, Health and Wellness and Social Equity. PBC projects have included the restoration of existing parks, as well as building new parks completely from scratch. Selecting the location for the PBC project can be an exciting process, and this year was no exception.

W W W. PA R K S A N D R E C R E AT I O N . O R G | M A R C H 2 0 1 9 |

Parks & Recreation

57

PA R K S B U I L D C O M M U N I T Y

Aerial view of current ABC Park (left).

Design for renovated ABC Park, showing placement of new features (right).

Community members look forward to enjoying a new basketball court with surfacing from California Sports Surfaces (top) and an inflatable Epic Outdoor Cinema movie screen (bottom).

58 Parks & Recreation

When Baltimore was announced as the location for the 2019 NRPA Annual Conference, NRPA reached out to the Baltimore City Department of Recreation and Parks (BCRP) to determine the best location for the 2019 PBC project.

BCRP currently manages 4,600+ acres of parkland and 262 parks, 170 athletic fields and more than 120 playgrounds. BCRP’s renovation plans included a handful of projects to consider for the PBC project and site tours were conducted. Catherine ABC Park (ABC Park) quickly rose to the top of the list. It had a park renovation plan in place, which would promote health and wellness-related activities and a concept design that integrated conservation interests.

It also has a very active community that had been waiting a long time for an investment in the park, which addressed social equity in the area. ABC Park was identified as the perfect location for the 2019 PBC project and the park renovation plan was expedited.

“I worked on the original renovation plan for ABC Park,” says Sarah Hope, formerly a design planner with BCRP, now a construction project manager with Baltimore

| M A R C H 2 0 1 9 | W W W. PA R K S A N D R E C R E AT I O N . O R G

County. “The park was well-used and due for a new building and upgrades to the existing playground.

The community proved to be great partners in ensuring the plan included what was needed. I’ve never been to a community meeting with so many people in attendance, at least 50. Rather than renovating the park piecemeal, they waited a long time for an investment in the park and they deserve a lot of the credit for receiving this master plan.”

New Features BCRP is funding portions of the renovation, like the newly constructed building, as originally planned, but plans have been updated to include what donors will provide. Several items in the original advertised project, such as site amenities, a play fountain, basketball posts/backboard/goals, basketball court sealcoat surfacing and playground equipment, have now become available through donations. In addition to what has been designed and advertised by BCRP, donations have also been offered for baseball field bleachers, outdoor fitness equipment, basketball player benches, picnic tables and a drinking fountain.

“It’s pretty exciting to see the project expand with an interest from people who have never been connected with the park in the past and also with more features the community will hopefully enjoy,” says Denise Caldwell, BCRP landscape architect. “NRPA has been great, working hard to get donations and donors.”

ABC Park, located on 2 acres will receive the following: • A new 800-square-foot indoor/ outdoor field house, as well as new restroom facilities • An ADA-compliant splash pad • An upgraded and expanded playground • State-of-the-art outdoor fitness equipment • A new outdoor basketball court • New fencing and entrance • Modern amenities, including new seating, gathering spaces, bike racks and more One of the new features is the field house, which is more of a community pavilion. “The new building plan was developed with input from community leader Derwin Hannah and focuses on a large indoor/outdoor room that can be opened on three sides to the outdoors,” says Lance Decker, BCRP architect.

“There will be a big porch with a uniquely shaped roof held up by tree trunk columns from Ash trees that were slated for removal from the West side of Baltimore but are structurally perfect for this purpose.

This new space will be great for ongoing park activities, community gatherings and park festivals.”

Seeing the importance of PBC projects and wanting to contribute, NRPA partners with donors who work with the local agency to provide their products and services at no cost. Many of the donors are already approved vendors

of BCRP, and they have each carefully considered the community’s needs regarding the equipment to be installed. “We have been involved with NRPA and the Parks Build Community for a number of years,” says Brian Johnson, chief marketing officer for BCI Burke.

“Being a part of each of the projects has been rewarding for us at Burke because we can see the impact on the communities involved.

Our mission is to bring Play to Communities and this is one way we can truly partner with NRPA and with Baltimore this year to reinvent that park space with an innovative playscape. We are providing a Burke Nucleus play structure with some of our new products like the Luge® Slide, Solis™ Toppers and a Verve® Climbing System.”

Anne-Marie Spencer, corporate vice president of marketing for PlayCore, says: “For Baltimore, we knew they wanted something to encourage family engagement, so our Expression Swing was the perfect response to that need. Invented by our GameTime team, it allows a parent and child to swing together face to face — promoting

“It’s pretty exciting to see the project expand with an interest from people who have never been connected with the park in the past and also with more features the community will hopefully enjoy.” family time and gleeful activity!

Our philosophy is to develop research with leading scholars and universities then apply that to our wide range of products to build play, fitness, aquatic and leisure spaces that are loved and used regularly by the community.”

“As part of Greenfields’ mission to promote wellness and fight obesity one community at a time, we are looking to provide exercise opportunities to as many people as possible and eliminate common obstacles to working out,” says Sam Mendelsohn, president and CEO of Greenfields Outdoor Fitness, This GameTime Expression Swing encourages family engagement.

W W W. PA R K S A N D R E C R E AT I O N . O R G | M A R C H 2 0 1 9 |

Parks & Recreation

59

PA R K S B U I L D C O M M U N I T Y

Greenfields’ outdoor fitness equipment, which is wheelchair-accessible, will allow community members of all abilities to exercise together.

This Burke Nucleus play structure will help reinvent the current ABC Park playground.

which will be donating the outdoor fitness equipment. He adds: “Inclusive design is another key factor we take into account — by designing fitness areas with equipment for those in wheelchairs, users with disabilities can enjoy this same social environment with the rest of the population, instead of 60 Parks & Recreation

being segregated into “adapted” areas or classes. The ABC Park unit selection includes five units that accommodate 14 people, one of which can be in a wheelchair (and more than that for wheelchair users who can transfer.) It’s our hope that with this addition to the project, ABC Park will be a welcoming place for the whole community to exercise together.”

“In Baltimore, we are building to meet the city’s wishes — ac-

| M A R C H 2 0 1 9 | W W W. PA R K S A N D R E C R E AT I O N . O R G

cessible and sustainable, low-flow solution that requires low maintenance,” says Stephen Hamelin, CEO and president at Vortex.

“Our design approach is based on sustainability’s three pillars. We design our splash pads to promote play across all ages and abilities (Social), long-term usability and low maintenance (Economic) and with little waste in materials and water (Environmental). Our ultimate goal is to make every aquatic play experience a positively transformative one for everyone.”

“Epic Outdoor Cinema proudly supports the Baltimore PBC Project with a donation of one of our newest Premier SLIMLINE™ silent, inflatable screens to enhance outdoor events serving as a gathering place for families and residents of all ages while encouraging a true community centerpiece for connection,” said Nick Toutoungi, the company’s managing director. “The portability and versatility of our screen will create new opportunities to make an epic impact with minimal staffing needs.

We are inspired knowing that our contribution not only allows us to join an initiative that addresses the most relevant and pressing needs of saving our parks; it is a great way to collaborate with other like-minded businesses leading the industry with positive influence.” California Sports Surfaces, which will be installing the basketball court, has long been involved with NRPA and are honored to be asked to participate in the Parks Build Project. “For the basketball court at ABC Park, we are provid-

ing our Streetscape multipurpose system, which is the ideal solution to create a colorful medium-texture, nonskid surface that will provide UV protection for the asphalt subsurface, as well as consistent and sure footing for the players,” says Tom Magner, the company’s director of sales. “The installation will be done by our longtime partners and good friends at ATC Corp, who are based right in Baltimore. It will be exciting to see the transformation at ABC Park and look forward to seeing our court installed there,” he adds.

On December 11, 2018, BCRP hosted a groundbreaking ceremony at ABC Park (https://tinyurl. com/BaltimorePBC). The park is scheduled for a grand reopening in September 2019, during the

NRPA Annual Conference. A new element for this PBC project is a research component. NRPA is working with Johns Hopkins University and NC State University to examine park usage before and after the renovation.

More information about the research portion of the project will be shared in upcoming articles.

NRPA looks forward to seeing the impact and enjoyment this renovated park will bring to the surrounding community.

PBC is a national initiative, demonstrating the transformative value of parks on the health and vitality of communities across America. The vision to build and revitalize parks as thriving gathering places for youth, families and adults is one shared by NRPA, its

PBC is a national initiative, demonstrating the transformative value of parks on the health and vitality of communities across America. industry and nonprofit partners, and the thousands of park and recreation professionals who develop and maintain these treasured public places. For more information about PBC projects or to become a donor, please contact Gina Mullins-Cohen, NRPA’s VP of marketing, communications and publishing at gcohen@nrpa.org.

Suzanne Nathan is NRPA’s Media Specialist (snathan@nrpa.org).

W W W. PA R K S A N D R E C R E AT I O N . O R G | M A R C H 2 0 1 9 |

Parks & Recreation

61

NRPA UPDATE How Becoming a CPRE Benefited My Career

By Samuel R. Metott, CPRE

A

few years ago, I began looking for the next step in my career and seeking an opportunity to become a director-level administrator.

With more than 15 years of experience, 10 of which were in administration, I have a diverse résumé within many elements of parks and recreation. After carefully reviewing various job openings, I applied and interviewed for three notable director-level positions but fell just short on all three. Age should not be a factor, but, since I was a younger professional, it seemed as though it played into the equation.

62 Parks & Recreation

| M A R C H 2 0 1 9 | W W W. PA R K S A N D R E C R E AT I O N . O R G

I began searching for a way to solidify myself as a viable candidate, regardless of my age, and the CPRE certification offered me that opportunity. The prerequisite — seven years as an administrator — would demonstrate leadership and organizational experience, while being able to pass the exam would indicate a benchmark level of competence, knowledge and understanding.

After becoming certified, I interviewed once again. This time, I received an offer letter. It is not to be assumed my selection was simply based on the CPRE certification.

However, it was certainly a topic of discussion during the interview process and helped me prepare for the interview and answer questions from a different perspective.

Unlike the CPRP test, there is no study guide for the CPRE exam. Instead, it is recommended that candidates read Management of Parks and Recreation Agencies. I found the text to be a thorough, straightforward read with valuable insights into our profession. Side Note: It’s also a great resource for CAPRA certification requirements.

With the CPRE certification and the knowledge base gained from the Management of Parks and Recreation Agencies text, I had less apprehension during the transition into my new role as an assistant director.

To learn more about the CPRE certification, visit www.nrpa.org/ CPRE. – Samuel R. Metott, CPRE, Assistant Director of Parks & Recreation for the City of Delray Beach Parks & Recreation Department

Now Accepting Speed Session Proposals!

C

alling all enthusiastic park and recreation professionals! Do you have any innovative solutions or unique experiences from which your peers and other communities across the country could benefit? If so, we are inviting park professionals to share their great ideas and knowledge during our highly acclaimed Speed Sessions at the 2019 NRPA Annual Conference, September 24–26, in Baltimore, Maryland.

These 20-minute sessions are designed to energize and inspire. The sky is the limit, and audience participation is strongly encouraged, so think creatively and definitely outside the box! We are looking for

a variety of topics, including: • Marketing Solutions • Recreation Programming • Climate Resiliency • Park Equity and Inclusion • Park and Recreation Trends Whether you are a first-time or a veteran speaker, presenting a Speed Session is a great opportunity to hone your presentation skills in a new and unconventional way.

And here comes the fun part — the Speed Session proposal lineup will be crowdsourced through an online vote in April. Your park and recreation peers will ultimately make the final selections on the topics they want to hear, so make your proposal stand out from the rest!

Speed Session proposals must be submitted by March 30, 2019.

For additional information and to submit your Speed Session proposal, please visit www.nrpa.org/ proposals.

NOW ACCEPTING

SPEED SESSION PROPOSALS! Submit your Speed Session proposals for the 2019 NRPA Annual Conference in Baltimore, Maryland. These unconventional 20-minute sessions are meant to share and incite new ideas. Share an innovative strategy, tell an inspirational story, or get attendees out of their chairs and participating with you!

The deadline to submit your proposals is March 30, 2019. nrpa.org/Proposals

2019

ANNUAL CONFERENCE SEPTEMBER 24–26 | BALTIMORE, MD

W W W. PA R K S A N D R E C R E AT I O N . O R G | M A R C H 2 0 1 9 |

Parks & Recreation

63

N R PA U P DAT E

The NRPA Innovation Awards A chance to tell your story, build a brand and even show off a little

E

very day, park and recreation agencies across the country come up with innovative ways to help improve the physical, as well as mental well-being of their communities. In 2018, NRPA launched the Innovation Awards program to recognize and honor that ingenuity in the areas of health, conservation, social equity and park design, and you can read about each of the award-winning programs in the 2018 Imagination Guide (www. nrpa.org/imagination-guide). Parks & Recreation reached out to Daniel J. Olson, chair of NRPA’s Awards and Scholarships Committee, to provide some insights about these awards: the value in the application process, tips on what to include and the question applicants find most challenging. upon. Once written, sharing the nomination internally with your board and staff sets a new level to which other programs can strive.

We often speak about NRPA’s Gold Medal Award or our state agencies’ accreditation process being great standards by which to assess your agency against others.

The Innovation Awards are similar in many respects. A win is an endorsement of your agency’s excellence in national standards. Further, acquiring one of NRPA’s awards is a morale booster to your partners, boards, staff and volunteers.

There is incredible value in na-

PHOTO COURTESY OF THE CHICAGO PARK DISTRICT

Parks & Recreation: As chair of this awards committee, why do you see it as an important one for members to participate in?

What’s the value in earning one of these awards for the agency/ community?

Daniel J. Olson: From the outset, the process of nominating a person or program for an award is a great evaluation tool. When you are building the application, you are capturing every successful outcome, as well as points that need improvement. The result is a very comprehensive overview of the program that should be reflected

64 Parks & Recreation

| M A R C H 2 0 1 9 | W W W. PA R K S A N D R E C R E AT I O N . O R G

tional recognition and your accomplishments should go beyond the one-time press release from your agency. It’s an opportunity to tell your story, build a brand and even show off a little bit. Consider integrating the award into employee and volunteer recruitment. Or, imagine bringing all your partners and donors together specifically to discuss how they made it possible to win the award. Making it known you are one of the best of the best will help retain and build on those partners and financial supporters.

P&R: What are the key elements judges are looking for in the submissions?

Olson: This past year, the awards system was updated and innovation became a key component for all awards. Focusing answers on how your project, person or program was innovative and creative in addressing a community need or improving lives will help bring other aspects of your application together.

The foremost submissions we receive are well-written, comprehensive overviews of the project, person or program. The best applications typically include how the agency defined the need, how they set goals and, ultimately, conclude with measured results or participant outcomes. Include statistics, combined with firsthand testimonials to make a strong application.

P&R: Is there any other advice/ tips you’d offer to applicants?

Olson: Always double check your

P&R: Was there any feedback from last year’s participants that informed this year’s process?

Olson: The feedback we received on the new nomination process and awards has been very positive.

Agencies found the process easier,

PHOTO COURTESY OF THE LOS ANGELES COUNTY DEPARTMENT OF PARKS AND RECREATION

entire nomination before you click submit no matter how many times you may have looked it over. On occasion, a section or attachment will be missing from the submission and applicants will miss out on points that could have been awarded for that section. Often, numerical scores are tied or within a point of one another.

If your agency is not a recipient of the award, always consider re-application the following year if it is still within the timeline allotted for the award. In many nominations, the project or program has recently come to fruition and your community is celebrating the results of your hard work.

But, that does not mean your work is complete. Your nomination will most likely be scored against others that include measured outcomes and results. It may be that you need the following year to track outcomes to incorporate into the nomination. Timing is everything, so we suggest looking at the submission timeline and considering a re-application. With that said, it is never too early to submit.

Studying the award criteria and reaching out to past recipients well ahead of the nomination deadline will give you a sense of how to prepare and what to include in your nomination. Past recipients may be willing to share their application with you or at least discuss the benchmarks of their projects.

but it still allowed them to highlight what they felt was important to them. We have further streamlined this year’s application process, making it easier for agencies of all sizes — to submit nominations.

P&R: Is there anything else about the award that you’d like to share?

Olson: Apply and nominate. The size of your agency, program, facility or budget should not limit you from applying. Notable innovation is found at all agencies and municipalities. The amount of money spent to get your results are not considered in the judging process.

Don’t hesitate to include items that didn’t work out or need substantial improvements. And certainly, if you made changes along the process, include those results as well. Including information such as this lets the judges know that you did due diligence in the evaluation process.

In the application process, we continue to see agencies struggle with the questions pertaining to explaining partnerships during

the planning and implementation process. Although the early public meetings and community discussions may be a distant memory for your team, including those outreach efforts shows that key people were involved in the process.

Numbers and statistics associated with early partnership efforts, as well as the unique innovation each partner brought to the table should be included.

Quite possibly the toughest question to answer on the application centers on the measures you have in place to sustain the program, park or facility. This question warrants having a conversation with your stakeholders and administrators prior to putting pen to paper. Be firm but honest in your response that there is a plan and evaluation process in place for the future of the project.

Celebrate your success and don’t take rejection personally. Nationally, our agencies are full of impactful and innovative projects, programs and people. Our awards are a healthy competition and your time to shine may be now.

W W W. PA R K S A N D R E C R E AT I O N . O R G | M A R C H 2 0 1 9 |

Parks & Recreation

65

©MYLES MELLOR

Parks & Recreation Crossword

Across 1 Bravery - key quality in leadership 6 The lady in question 8 Safety features on stairways 10 Get rid of litter and trash from a park, for example - 2 words 11 Perfectly 12 BBQ residue 13 Gives offices and buildings another coat 16 Skill that increases one’s selfconfidence, goes with 14 down 18 It’s more than just a job 20 Used a chair 21 “Pledge of Allegiance” ender 22 Plants in Joshua Tree National Park 23 Data storer 25 John F. Kennedy Library architect 27 Trusted teachers 30 Compass direction 31 Drops off like a bay 33 Badgers 34 The S in CPSI

Down 1 Certificate that can be earned by park professionals 2 College credits 3 Part of NRPA, abbr.

4 Acted as an event host 5 Key factor in the art of public speaking 6 Unwanted escalating form of refuse in NYC parks 7 Shows 9 Car club 14 See 16 across 15 Tossing lightly, in Little League 17 Baseball warm-up area 18 Mouse catcher 19 Color in a Crayola eight-pack 20 Lovable rascal 24 Set of rules and regulations 26 St Paul’s state 28 Twisty turn 29 Something to reach for 32 Top grades

Complete the crossword and visit www.nrpa.org/crossword to verify your answers and to enter into a drawing for an NRPA tumbler and $25 gift card. A winner will be randomly selected March 31, 2019.

66 Parks & Recreation

| M A R C H 2 0 1 9 | W W W. PA R K S A N D R E C R E AT I O N . O R G

Protect Your Playgrounds.

BECOME A CPSI.

Certified Playground Safety Inspectors (CPSIs) help ensure children have safe places to play.

Not only that, becoming a CPSI opens the door for career advancement and increased job mobility.

Get 20% off the CPSI Practice Exam until April 15, 2019. Promo Code: PRACTICE20

nrpa.org/Become-a-CPSI

N R PA U P DAT E

Happy 5th Birthday NRPA Connect Hot Topics

Not only is NRPA Connect a great networking platform, but it’s also a micro-learning opportunity. Log in daily to get new ideas and grow professionally. Check out one of the hottest topics being discussed right now: Special Events – An NRPA member currently hosts an Easter egg hunt, Christmas tree lighting and 5Ks but is looking for more “out-of-thebox” Ideas. They would love to try is a Silent Disco night and want to know if others have hosted this event and how it went.

Several NRPA Members have chimed in with their ideas, including: A special event we put on is a “DaddyDaughter Hair Workshop.” We get with a local salon in town and they come in and teach a class to fathers and daughters about how to do hair...

A few special events we have scheduled this year are Chalk Art in the Park Day (we will bring out the sidewalk chalk for all ages) and Watermelon Day at the Pool (on National Watermelon Day...,..

Other ideas shared include: • Family Campout in the Park • Wine Tastings • Barbeque competitions • Box-A-Rama – children’s competition for building things with everyday boxes • Family Scavenger Hunt • Canine Carnival • Kite & Rocket Day Find more details about these wonderful ideas or share ideas/stories about your events on NRPA Connect. Log in to www.nrpaconnect. org today!

68 Parks & Recreation

N

RPA Connect is turning five this month, and because of NRPA members, we have several reasons to celebrate. NRPA Connect launched March 2014 as an online networking platform for park and recreation professionals. Since then, it has turned into a hub for NRPA members to learn, network and gain leadership experience. If you are not participating in Connect, you are missing out on all the benefits it has to offer, but it’s never too late to get involved! Here are three reasons to visit Connect today: • Daily Microlearning – If you are looking for ideas for your job or facing a challenge, NRPA Connect is the place to ask more than 62,000 fellow professionals for a fresh perspective. Browsing your daily digest email in your inbox is a great way to gain inspiration. Since it launched in 2014, there have been more than 20,000+ discussions and 6,000+ resources, which mean there is a lot of information just waiting to be seen.

Use the search function next time you have a question, and browse through the thousands of discussions, ranging from information on dog parks, restroom regulations and job descriptions!

• Networking – You can learn and make professional connections and life-long friendships on NRPA Connect. You can connect with fellow NRPA members through daily discussions or join one of NRPA’s six networks and participate in monthly conference calls and meet in person annually at conference.

Many members have met mentors or gotten new jobs because of the

| M A R C H 2 0 1 9 | W W W. PA R K S A N D R E C R E AT I O N . O R G

professionals they’ve met through Connect.

• Leadership Experience – Are you looking to gain leadership experience to help you move up in your career? NRPA Connect offers numerous opportunities, which can be found under the “Volunteer” section. The NRPA Networks — Armed Forces Recreation, Aquatics, Education, Conservation, Leadership Development and Young Professionals — are member-run communities, with diverse leadership opportunities to help you gain experience. There are always opportunities to get involved and to boost your résumé…all while having fun!

Since NRPA Connect launched five years ago, there has been a 549 percent increase in discussions and a 282 percent increase in available resources. Take advantage of this great benefit today! Don’t forget to log in to Connect this month to help us celebrate a wonderful five years.

There will be celebrations and festivities. Learn more about Connect at https://youtu.be/c97_2UIigo4 and by visiting www.nrpaconnect.org.

Member Spotlight: Seth Hendler-Voss

By Vitisia Paynich

T

hose who truly appreciate the great outdoors likely remember the first time they visited a park. For Seth Hendler-Voss, some of his most treasured childhood memories involve spending time with family and friends while enjoying everything parks have to offer.

Parks & Recreation magazine recently connected with Hendler-Voss, director of parks, recreation and tourism for Prince William County, Virginia, to find out, among other things, why it’s important to design parks with conservation in mind. A portion of that conversation follows:

Parks & Recreation: What’s your first memory of spending time in a park?

Seth Hendler-Voss: My father took me and my brothers on a road trip out west to tour the national parks.

I can still smell the back seat of the ’85 Chevy Suburban, but more so the surfer pools of Yellowstone — which were mesmerizing. I also spent my weekends hiking through the New Jersey forests with my Boy Scout troop. My most memorable park experiences occurred at Tyler State Park in Pennsylvania, where I spent half of my high school days training with my cross country and track squad. Those wooded trails and rolling hayfields were the backdrop of my coming of age.

P&R: Your department manages more than 4,000 acres of parkland and over 100 miles of trails and blueways. What’s the most challenging part of what you do?

Hendler-Voss: Over the past 18 months, we consolidated the Convention and Visitors Bureau and the county’s Historic Preservation division into our service portfolio.

From battlefield preservation and fitness centers, to waterparks and preschool, we have tremendous reach. Coming from the park design and operations side, I’ve had

to learn a lot about programming.

I’m ever thankful for the devoted and brilliant team of employees who save me from tripping up. The biggest challenge of the job is responding to everyone’s needs. The trick in this line of work, as recently described to me, is satisfying the dissatisfied without dissatisfying the satisfied. But, seeing the immediate impact of my work cancels out the hard days. I often tell people local government is the frontline of community building. In direct service provision, we’re forced to take action, so the learning comes quick.

P&R: How does conservation play a role in the design of your parks?

Hendler-Voss: Conservation plays an integral role. Prince William is the second-largest county in Virginia and one of the fastest growing.

There is tension over development — especially related to low-density residential, which has shaped our community’s identify for the past half century. Our department is in the crosshairs, at times, like many other agencies, because building parks can disrupt the natural landscape. In a former community I served, someone spray-painted “parks and wreck” on a section of silt fence on a project site. That

stuck with me and inspires me to be the best land steward possible. For active-use park development, we are introducing more native, lowmaintenance landscapes, such as wildflower meadows. A 50 percent maximum disturbance guideline in certain areas of the county also ensures we provide a counterbalance of passive uses. For years, we’ve been known for our excellent sports fields — all 200 of them. Ten years from now, my goal is for us to be known for our conservation commitment. In fact, we are currently looking at adding 300+ acres to our open-space portfolio and planning for a new natural resource management branch….

To read the entire conversation, go to www.parksandrecreation. org/2019/March/member-spot light-Seth-Hendler-Voss.

— Vitisia Paynich, Freelance Writer for Parks & Recreation magazine

W W W. PA R K S A N D R E C R E AT I O N . O R G | M A R C H 2 0 1 9 |

Parks & Recreation

69

‘Get Fit’ for Family Health & Fitness Day in June

N

RPA invites everyone to celebrate Family Health & Fitness Day, June 8, 2019. Celebrated the second Satur-

day of June each year, it promotes the importance of parks and recreation in keeping communities active and healthy.

For 2019, the theme is “Get Fit” with Parks and Recreation, and on June 8, at noon EDT, NRPA challenges everyone to “Get Fit” by doing a minute of jumping jacks (regular or modified) with family and/or friends at a local park or recreation center. Participants are encouraged to share photos and videos using #NRPAFamilyFitDay. NRPA will also promote the Top 5 Ways to “Get Fit” with Parks and Recreation: • Take a Walk • Go for a Swim

Thank You (and Congratulations)!

Thanks in large part to your advocacy, Congress passed the Natural Resources Management Act, also known as the “Lands Package,” helping secure a permanent reauthorization of the Land and Water Conservation Fund (LWCF) and a guaranteed 40 percent in funding for the LWCF State Assistance.

NRPA salutes Congress for recognizing the importance of parks and outdoor recreation in communities nationwide.

Because everyone deserves a great park!

70

Parks & Recreation

| M A R C H 2 0 1 9 | W W W. PA R K S A N D R E C R E AT I O N . O R G

• Enroll in a Fitness Program • Create Your Own Exercise Routine • Play Outside Interested in participating?

Grab your exercise mat and join us March 28 at 2 p.m. EDT as we present the many ways your agency can participate in Family Health & Fitness Day. Sign up at https:// learning.nrpa.org/webinars. *Exercise mats are optional.

See the new toolkit available for download at www.nrpa.org/ events/family-fitness-day/ and “Get Fit” with Parks and Recreation on June 8!

NRPA’s 2019 Family Health & Fitness Day is sponsored by Greenfields Outdoor Fitness.

‘Game On’ for the Cover of Parks & Recreation Magazine

T

he Park and Recreation Month Cover Contest is on this March! You can begin submitting your best photos to be on the cover of the July issue of Parks & Recreation magazine! We’re looking for photos that tell a great story about the impact parks and rec has in your community, and with this year’s theme, “Game On,” we’d love to see photos that showcase the fun, playful and exciting offerings of your agency!

The deadline to submit your photos is March 30. Visit www.nrpa.org/events/july/july-cover-contest/ to submit yours today!

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.

SCHOOLS AND CONFERENCES

PLAYGROUND MAINTENANCE COURSE NRPA’s Playground Maintenance Course is a one-day educational course that covers the following topics: playground safety standards and guidelines, playground owner responsibilities and maintenance discussions on playground equipment, surfacing and site items. This course is recommended for maintenance and recreation staff, university seniors and any individual responsible for playgrounds. Participants must be 18 years of age or older and will receive a certificate upon completion of the course.

To learn more on how to attend a course in your area or how to host a Playground Maintenance Course, visit www.nrpa.org/certificate-programs.

Merriam, Kansas Phoenix, Arizona Clackamas, Oregon Newport News, Virginia Commerce City, Colorado New Brighton, Minnesota Sacramento, California Bismarck, North Dakota Bowling Green, Kentucky Wheeling, Illinois St. Charles, Missouri

2-4 8-10 10-12 10-12 22-24 24-26

East Hartford, Connecticut Bozeman, Montana Wall, New Jersey Mason, Ohio Las Vegas, Nevada Troy, Michigan

MAR

5-7 5-7 6-8 6-8 13-15 13-15 19-21 19-21 25-27 26-28 26-28

www.nrpa.org/CPSI

Oglebay Resort and Conference Center, Wheeling, West Virginia www.nrpa.org/Revenue-School

August 18-22, 2019

Hyatt Lodge, Oak Brook, Illinois www.nrpa.org/Directors

AFO PROGRAM

APR

APR

MAR

CPSI PROGRAM

March 10-15, 2019

4-5 5-6 7-8 11-12 12-13 13-14 13-14 14-15 14-15 19-20 20-21 25-26 26-27 26-27 27-28 27-28 27-29 28-29 28-29

Gainesville, Florida Anderson, South Carolina Canton, Michigan Milpitas, California Blue Springs, Missouri Phoenix, Arizona Herndon, Virginia North Miami, Florida Austin, Texas American Canyon, California Lawrence, Kansas Seattle, Washington Tuscaloosa, Arizona Phoenix, Arizona Sand Springs, Oklahoma South Jordan, Utah Cheney, Washington Bradenton, Florida Worthington, Ohio

September 24-26, 2019 Baltimore, Maryland www.nrpa.org/Conference

November 3-7, 2019 Wheeling, West Virginia www.nrpa.org/SMS

www.nrpa.org/education

2-3 Denton, Texas 4-5 Eastvale, California 8-9 Orange, California

www.nrpa.org/AFO

W W W. PA R K S A N D R E C R E AT I O N . O R G | M A R C H 2 0 1 9 |

Parks & Recreation

71

OPERATIONS Caring for Heavily Used Landscapes

By Sonia Myrick

A

measure of success for park and recreation professionals is in getting more and more people outside, enjoying the benefits of parks. And, whether that is walking or jogging on a trail, attending an event in a park or simply lounging on a bench or lawn, more and more people are venturing outdoors to do some nature bathing. enjoy a pick-up game of frisbee golf or to lounge on the grass.

Most parks don’t endure the level of wear and tear on the Mall.

However, as more and more parks rely on large-scale events, such as music festivals, fairs and other community events to generate income, managing the impact these events can have on the landscape is critical to its sustainability. The impact of heavy use may have many forms and a variety of effects on the landscape. However, one of the most significant impacts is soil compaction on lawns. Healthy soil that is well-

PHOTOS BY STEVE TULLEY/ALAMY STOCK PHOTO

With this increase in outdoor use comes an increase in the impact that use can have on the landscape.

Up until a few years ago, one had to look no further than the nation’s “front yard” — the National Mall in Washington, D.C. — to see the impact long-term high use can have on a site. The Mall, which is traipsed on by roughly 30,000 people a day, underwent a major overhaul starting in 2015 to remediate the damage done to the turf. Fencing was installed around many of the grass squares to protect them from foot traffic, much to the dismay of those who just wanted to

72

Parks & Recreation

| M A R C H 2 0 1 9 | W W W. PA R K S A N D R E C R E AT I O N . O R G

drained, properly aerated and has balanced nutrients and a healthy soil biology can support healthy grass, plants and trees. Heavily used landscapes are damaged in many ways; for example, visitors snapping limbs off trees or picking flowers from or trampling on young seedlings in a garden bed.

Compaction on lawns is one of the major impacts of heavy usage and one of the hardest to address.

When that soil becomes compacted because of heavy use and/or nutritionally imbalanced, it can no longer support healthy growth or recover from repeated heavy use.

Wear and tear is inevitable however, so according to Ronnit Bendavid-Val, director of gardens and grounds at the Brooklyn Botanic Garden (BBG), “A more realistic goal is to reduce its impact.”

In “Managing ‘Wear and Tear’ in Heavy-use Landscapes,” (http://ti nyurl.com/yyoajzaf) published by the Ecological Landscape Alliance, Bendavid-Val divides the contributors to wear and tear into two categories: physical impacts that have a direct physical effect on the landscape and come from outside the institution, organization or agency that manages the park/garden, and organizational practices rooted within the institution, organization or agency. She provides some examples of these contributors: “Physical Impacts: • High number of daily visitors or event attendance (expressed primarily as foot traffic, with some additional impacts) • Specific human interaction with

the landscape (e.g., carved graffiti in trees) • Design & construction [for example, construction crews disregarding tree protection zones or designing a space where debris or garbage needs to be removed without vehicle access] Organizational Practices: • Institutional priorities • Lack of understanding of horticultural needs by administrative staff • Staff habits (horticulture/operations staff) • Budget as it affects staff numbers and equipment”

Managing the Wear and Tear An annual turf renovation plan is important for any heavy-use lawn.

Such a renovation would include, for example, aeration, over-seeding and top-dressing. In addition, prior to an event, it may be desirable to take extra precautions to protect the lawn, such as by roping off certain areas. Following an event, and depending on the time of year, it’s important to act to remediate the impact of the event itself with, for example, some form of aeration and additional over-seeding and top-dressing, to name a few.

Other ways to lessen physical impacts include educational signage that explains why an area is being roped off or fenced in instead of simply ordering patrons to “Keep off the grass,” using compaction mats to provide temporary turf protection — for the 2017 inauguration, it’s estimated that 50,000 panels, each 16 feet square, were used to protect the turf on the Mall — hiring security guards to moni

tor the public’s access to certain areas (a more expensive but effective method), rotating field use and/ or closing fields following heavy rains and engaging the community to help protect the landscape (this approach must be carefully crafted so as not to hinder park operation).

Above all, education of an organization’s non-horticultural staff and the public about landscape needs is a critical component in lessening heavy-use impacts. This can range from in-depth periodic workshops by horticulture experts to staff and the public on various landscape-related topics, to something as simple as informational signage and consistent messaging across an agency’s communication platforms.

The revenue generated from hosting more outdoor events can help a park provide the funds necessary to hire additional staff and equipment for landscape care.

However, a delicate balance must be struck between the park’s event management staff and staff responsible for maintaining a healthy landscape. Together, these departments should create a policy for scheduling events that builds in recovery time for high-use green spaces, whether that means rotating the area being used or closing an area following a heavy rain or at certain times of the year so as not to cause further damage to the landscape.

As more and more people heed the call to get out and enjoy the outdoors, and more park and recreation agencies rely on this revenue stream to enhance their budgets, managing the impact of wear and tear on their green spaces from increased usage will be important to their sustainability.

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

W W W. PA R K S A N D R E C R E AT I O N . O R G | M A R C H 2 0 1 9 |

Parks & Recreation

73

PRODUCTS Water Play Structures

Enjoy the

Outdoors

TM

RJ Thomas Mfg. Co, Inc. PARK · STREET · CAMPSITE PRODUCTS CATALOG #250

Camps & &Campgrounds Camps Campgrounds Schools Schools&&Colleges Colleges Athletic AthleticFields Fields Parks Parks SwimmingPools Pools Swimming RecCenters Centers Rec Streetscapes Streetscapes Patios Patios Your Backyard Your Backyard

Aquatix by Landscape Structures has introduced new aqua play structures, HydraHub1 and HydraHub2. The HydraHub1 delivers a dynamic aqua play experience with its pull-string roof diverter, central pivot sprayer, HydroCannons and small bubblers all on raised platforms. Two whooshing slides provide easy access to the water, where they can run to get splashed by the VersoSplash™ dumping bucket up above.

The HydraHub2 combines the HydraHub1 with another raised platform structure. The platforms are linked by a bridge and tunnel with water effects.

A play panel lets kids tip water-filled buckets on friends below. The addition of a tube slide and a custom three-person wide slide offers a thrilling ride to more water fun below. AQUATIX BY LANDSCAPE STRUCTURES, 877.632.0503, AQUATIX.PLAYLSI.COM

Site Amenities Catalog Pilot Rock products have been made in the USA since 1959, and the brand is celebrating its 60th anniversary in 2019. Made

by RJ Thomas Mfg. Co., Inc., the Pilot Rock brand includes an extensive line of park benches, picnic tables, trash and recycling receptacles, animal-proof receptacles and lockers, bike racks, custom signs, charcoal grills, campfire rings, wheelchair-accessible products and other site amenities. You can request or download the current catalog at www.pilotrock.com, or call 800,762.5002. PILOT ROCK, 800.762.5002, WWW.PILOTROCK.COM

74

Parks & Recreation

Power Distribution Pedestal Milbank, a family-owned American designer and manufacturer of electrical solutions, introduces K6342, the latest addition to its metering family. This multiposition, power distribution pedestal is a free-standing unit designed with a slender footprint that allows up to four separate customers to have power (up to 125 amps per position) distributed and metered independently by a local utility. It is ideal for power distribution in downtown or common locations with limited space where aesthetics matter. It can be used to distribute power to cell towers, field lighting, concession stands, pavilions, festivals, recreation areas, etc. Custom color options are available. MILBANK, 877.483.5314, WWW. MILBANKWORKS.COM

Inclusive Playground Spinner Expanding on its line of inclusive playground products, Landscape Structures has introduced the We-Go-Round™, a merry-go-round-like spinner designed to accommodate children and families of all abilities. There is ample room for wheelchairs inside the We-Go-Round, and strategic seating areas position everyone toward the center to share smiles, laughter and conversation. The patent-pending We-Go-Round is the perfect inclusive solution. The base is flush with the surrounding surfacing, providing easy access for those using mobility devices. Under rooftop shade, riders can participate in the action using the center handhold, while others are turning from the outside. Plus, the built-in progressive-resistance mechanism maintains a reasonable maximum speed. LANDSCAPE STRUCTURES INC., 888.438.6574, PLAYLSI.COM

| M A R C H 2 0 1 9 | W W W. PA R K S A N D R E C R E AT I O N . O R G

IS YOUR CAREER FULLY CHARGED? Reach the pinnacle of the profession and demonstrate that you are a true leader by becoming a Certified Park and Recreation Professional.

Apply by March 31, 2019 to get 25% off the Management of Park and Recreation Agencies book the perfect resource to prepare for the CPRE exam.

nrpa.org/CPRE

park essentials

AmishGazebos.com Gazebos, Pergolas, & Pavilions

Get your FREE 200-page catalog & price guide

1-800-700-1777 es ric t P rvice rs s e e we Lo eat S stom Gr c Cu rrifi Te

Recycled site furnishings • park signs

Music Play That Moves You Foster social, emotional, and cognitive development with Burke’s New PlayEnsemble™ Collection BCIBURKE.COM Trademarks are the property of BCI Burke Company. BCI Burke Company 2019. All rights reserved.

76

Parks & Recreation

800-356-2070

| M A R C H 2 0 1 9 | W W W. PA R K S A N D R E C R E AT I O N . O R G

Bright Idea Shops, LLC Akron, Ohio 800-886-8990 fax 330-258-0167 www.brightideashops.com www.park-signs.net

The Easiest Way To Build

Precast Concrete Buildings For All Your Park & Rec Needs VERSATILE • DURABLE • FAST • ECONOMICAL • SECURE Standard and custom plans, styles, colors, finishes • Sizes from 10’ x 12’ to 50’ x 250’ Pre-engineered, Pre-assembled, Pre-plumbed, Pre-wired • Minimal site preparation Outperforms all other materials • Resistant to rot, vandalism, fire, blast, and storms Installation in just hours • Available nationwide from a network of Licensed Producers Concessions • Dugouts • Electrical/Mechanical • Hazmat • Maintenance Sheds • Offices • Press Boxes Pump Houses • Restrooms • Locker Rooms • Field Houses • Security Shacks • Shelters • Storage & more!

Online Quote Form

EasiSetBuildings.com 866.252.8210

NRPA 1-2pg 2019 7.625x4.75.indd 1

1/14/2019 10:51:18 AM W W W. PA R K S A N D R E C R E AT I O N . O R G | M A R C H 2 0 1 9 |

Parks & Recreation

77

park essentials

NATURAL DOG PARK PRODUCTS

Park Furnishings That Stand The Test of Time No Staining No Scraping No Splintering No Rotting No Rusting

Products Made from 100% recycled plastic!

GymsForDogs.com sales@GymsForDogs.com 800-931-1562

No Hassle!

Benches, Tables, Receptacles & more!

PollyProducts.com 1-877-609-2243

S TA I N L E S S S T E E L , E V E RY T I M E

THE HIGHEST QUALITY GOAL ON THE MARKET. MARKET

Build and quote your fountain online!

Outdoor Bottle Filler & Water Fountain CWBF-2-RPB-HC

FIND US AT

WWW.SCOREMASTER.COM

EMAIL

SALES@SCOREMASTER.COM

TOLL FREE

1-888-726-7627

ADA Compliant

REVIT details available at our website.

Our goals meet or exceeds ASTM F2056 and ASTM F2673

800.428.4065 | WilloughbyStainlessFountains.com

78

Parks & Recreation

| M A R C H 2 0 1 9 | W W W. PA R K S A N D R E C R E AT I O N . O R G

© 2018 Willoughby Industries Inc.

Aerospace quality TIG welded construction.

Our commercial grade allstainless-steel fixture is built to last and helps to reduce waste from disposable water bottles.

Resistant to sunlight, heat, and vandalism and available in 11 striking powder-coated colors!

NRPA.ORG/JULY | #GAMEONJULY

SPONSORED BY

® ™

Kay Park Recreation.................................................................................. 77

Aquatix by Landscape Structures........................................................ 29

Landscape Structures Inc.................................................................... 4, 5

Amish Country Gazebos...........................................................................76

Livin the Dog Life/Gyms for Dogs..........................................................78

BCI Burke Playgrounds........................................................................9, 76

Milbank.......................................................................................................... 21

Bobcat Company.......................................................................................... 7

Most Dependable Fountains.................................................................. C2

Bright Idea Shops, LLC..............................................................................76

Pilot Rock/RJ Thomas Mfg. Co................................................................ 31

Cemrock........................................................................................................ 19

Playcore/GameTime.................................................................................. C4

Classic Recreation Systems, Inc.......................................................... 33

Poligon......................................................................................................... 39

Columbia Cascade......................................................................................37

Polly Products.............................................................................................78

DOGIPOT.........................................................................................................27

Scoremaster Goals....................................................................................78

Doty & Sons................................................................................................. 77

Shade Systems..............................................................................................1

Easi-Set Buildings...................................................................................... 77

Toro Company............................................................................................. 13

Eco-Counter................................................................................................ 25

Uline............................................................................................................... 41

Fountain People/Water Odyssey.......................................................... 35

Victor Stanley............................................................................................... 11

Greenfields Outdoor Fitness............................................................... 2, 3

Willoughby Industries..............................................................................78

John Deere.................................................................................................. C3

The Wood Carver, Inc./Goldenteak........................................................79

advertiser index

American Swing Products.......................................................................76

(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 ©2019 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: $46 a year in the U.S.; $56 elsewhere. Single copy price: $7. Library rate: $58 a year in the U.S.; $68 elsewhere. Periodical postage paid at Ashburn, Virginia, and at additional mailing offices. Editorial and advertising offices at 22377 Belmont Ridge Rd., Ashburn, VA 20148. 703.858.0784. Postmaster, send address changes to Parks & Recreation, 22377 Belmont Ridge Rd., Ashburn, VA 20148.

W W W. PA R K S A N D R E C R E AT I O N . O R G | M A R C H 2 0 1 9 |

Parks & Recreation

79

PHOTO COURTESY OF CITY OF TEMPE

Park Bench

Water Filters

By Melissa Quillard Nestled in the heart of Arizona’s Alameda Meadows is Selleh Park, a 6.3-acre area with a playground, picnic areas and all the amenities needed to make it a neighborhood destination. It is also home to a man-made pond that supports a variety of wildlife, including fish, birds, turtles and ducks. Over the years, that habitat has changed, and the city is using an integrated approach to positively affect the lake’s ecosystem, namely, by installing floating islands.

Floating islands occur naturally in water bodies across the world, and they act as a filter, providing a surface for microbes and good bacteria, which pull pollutants from the water. Mimicking them in park lakes and ponds also provides a habitat for plants and other wildlife, as well as shade and cooler water that will help the pond’s fish thrive.

“The floating island concept was initiated by a resident who, like the city, is committed to sustainable solutions,” says Tempe Parks Manager Craig Hayton. “She and other neighbors conducted all the research and made a very compelling case to the city council, which gave the project the green light as part of the city’s Innovation Fund program.”

In summer 2018, the Alameda Meadows Neighborhood Association received $7,000 from the Innovation Fund toward this project. In the fall, more than 30 neighborhood volunteers helped install the islands, which are made of recycled plastic. The soil has a coconut core, composed of shaved coconut shells mixed with water, and the plants on the islands include the Cardinal flower, yerba mansa, yellow monkey flowers, American speedwell, spike rush and blue rush, which are native to Arizona.

City staff will be analyzing the islands through June 2019 to gauge their effectiveness at cleaning the water and to understand the amount of maintenance required to keep the islands healthy. If this pilot project is successful, more floating islands could be installed at Selleh and other Tempe parks. This could mean significant long-term cost savings for maintenance and treatments, as well as providing wildlife habitat.

More information about the Selleh Park project can be found at tempe.gov/InnovationFund.

– Melissa Quillard, Public Information Officer, City of Tempe, Arizona 80 Parks & Recreation

| M A R C H 2 0 1 9 | W W W. PA R K S A N D R E C R E AT I O N . O R G

John Deere Federal, State & Local Government Contracts

A whole fleet of ways to make short work of anything.

Even paperwork.

Want to power through the tough stuff? John Deere offers easy-to-use state and local government contracts that make procurement problems a thing of the past. Even better, your local John Deere dealer can help you find the right equipment, set it up, deliver it, even train your team. Find out how to get around pesky roadblocks. Visit JohnDeere.com/local.

The object is simplicity.

75758 John Deere’s green and yellow color scheme, the leaping deer symbol, and JOHN DEERE are trademarks of Deere & Company.

PLAY HAS NO LIMIT ® gametime.com | 800.235.2440

PARKS & RECREATION MARCH 2019 ◆ PARK DESIGN ◆ TEMPE PARKS RENOVATIONS ◆ PARKS BUILD COMMUNITY – BALTIMORE