Parks & Recreation Magazine - December 2015

Nature Is Not a Place | Q&A With Jim O’Heir | Holiday Display Controversy DECEMBER 2015 W W W. N R PA . O R G

Protecting Children in Disasters

Park and recreation agencies serve as vital caregivers when disaster strikes Page 40

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contents december 2015

Bruce Stidham

volume 50 | number 12 | www.nrpa.org

COVER STORY

40 A Big Threat to Our Little Campers:

Protecting Children in Disasters Natural disasters can have a particularly devastating effect on children — parks and recreation provides a nurturing environment to soothe their worries Sarah Thompson, MA

FEATURE

46 From Devastation to World-Class Recreation Sarah McLaughlin

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Above: Ali Hochreiter (left) of Save the Children speaks with owner Courtney Grover, of Creative Kids Daycare Center, which was destroyed in Joplin, Missouri on May 22, 2011.

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contents december 2015

departments

columns

10 Letters

6 Perspectives

12 50th Anniversary Archive Throwback: July 2011

14 Community Center American Societal Changes Affect Municipal Public Services 14 Notable News 16 NRPA Connect Hot Topics 17

18 By the Numbers With a Little Help From Friends

20 People For Parks ‘Jerry Gergich’ Shares a Moment With Lawrence Parks and Rec Roger Steinbrock

22 Member to Member New First Aid and CPR Guidelines: Step in to Save a Life Jonathan I. Epstein

50 NRPA Update National Recognition of NRPA’s Efforts to Save the Monarch 50 The NRPA Board of Directors Is Now Accepting Applications 50 Give the Gift of Data This December 52 Member Benefits: Take Advantage of Your Premier Certification Package 53 Test Your Park and Recreation Knowledge 53

Getting Back to Our Roots Susan Trautman, CPRP

8 Editor’s Letter Diligence, Not Despair Gina Mullins-Cohen

24 Advocacy NRPA Supporting Green Infrastructure Kevin O’Hara

26 Law Review Park Ban on Unattended Holiday Displays James C. Kozlowski, J.D., Ph.D.

32 Future Leaders Let Young Professionals Take the Crowdfunding Reigns Kara Kish, MPA, CPRE, CPSI

34 Conservation Nature Is Not a Place Jimmy O’Connor

36 Health and Wellness Mind Over Disaster: Mentally Preparing for the Worst Sonia Myrick

38 Social Equity Racial Equity in Parks and Recreation Michelle Kellogg and Julie Nelson

Member Spotlight: Teresa Kuchinsky-Trejo, CPRP 54 Professional Development Calendar 55

56 Operations Seven Tips to Take the Sting Out of Severe Weather

58 Products 60 Marketplace 62 Reader Service and Advertiser Index 64 Park Bench A Ribbon Runs Through It Catrina Belt

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Page 26

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Getting Back to Our Roots I built my first park when I was 10; it was called Creektown. I didn’t need an architectural design or a building permit, much less parental consent. As neighborhood kids, we were the contractors. I grew up at the end of the street next to the woods and no one but us kids knew where Creektown was.

We built a trail system supported by pretend shops, homes and schools. We used highend products like rocks, sticks and mud. Without really understanding it at the time, it was our connection to nature, to each other and to an imaginary world we created.

I have been a lucky person to grow up loving the outdoors and building parks for a living. As a member of NRPA since 1978, I have witnessed a lot of change in our organization. Celebrating our 50th year in Las Vegas provided an easy trip down memory lane.

So many good people came before us, creating the powerful organization we are today.

NRPA is focused on addressing the fundamental issues we all face in our communities, including health, safe access to the outdoors and serving those in need. Now more than ever, we have learned that promoting healthy lifestyles is inherent in having a healthy community. We know that providing safe access to the outdoors and connecting kids to nature is critical to that health. This is especially true for children who are not growing up as we did — free to play outside, wandering, exploring and creating.

It’s striking that in our 50th year, we have 50,000 members…just think of all the people we touch each day! We’ve been providing opportunities for living a life outdoors, for exercising and playing in community centers and for giving people a way to lead healthy lives. The NRPA Board is committed to making sure these opportunities are enhanced by supporting the profession through additional programs and grants.

We have made a strategic decision to get back to our roots. NRPA was created not just as a professional organization but also as a charitable organization with a focus on advocacy and education. In the coming year, we are going to seek out people, companies and other organizations that understand the power of parks and recreation and who can bring financial resources to the table so we can multiply these opportunities.

This coming year, I get the special opportunity to serve as NRPA Board Chair. In 2016, the NRPA Annual Conference comes here to St. Louis, and each year, NRPA leaves a legacy park in the host city through its Parks Build Community initiative. I am very grateful that the City of Wellston in St. Louis County, part of our St. Vincent Greenway, has been chosen.

My hope is that this special park — named “Trojan Park” in honor of the former local high school mascot — becomes a magical place for the children who live nearby and provides them with a connection to nature, each other and the imaginary world they create.

SUSAN T R AU TM AN 6

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

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

EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE

Jack Kardys

Chair of the Board of Directors Susan Trautman, CPRP

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

Great Rivers Greenway District St. Louis, Missouri

Michael Kelly

Chair-Elect Stephen Eckelberry

Chicago Park District Chicago, Illinois

Bartlett Park District Bartlett, Illinois

Brian Knapp

Past Chair Detrick L. Stanford, CPRP Clayton County Parks and Recreation Jonesboro, Georgia

Treasurer Neelay Bhatt PROS Consulting Indianapolis, Indiana

Secretary Roslyn Johnson Maryland-National Capital Park and Planning Commission Greenbelt, Maryland

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

NOVA Parks Fairfax, Virginia

Detrick L. Stanford, CPRP Clayton County Parks and Recreation Jonesboro, Georgia

Molly Stevens Westcave Outdoor Discovery Center Austin, Texas

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

LIFE TRUSTEES Beverly D. Chrisman Lexington, South Carolina

Anne S. Close Fort Mill, South Carolina

BOARD OF DIRECTORS

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Rebecca Benná, CPRP Five River Metro Parks Dayton, Ohio

Earl T. Groves

Neelay Bhatt

Charles E. Hartsoe, Ph.D.

Gastonia, North Carolina

PROS Consulting Indianapolis, Indiana

Richmond, Virginia

Kevin Coyle

Chadds Ford, Pennsylvania

National Wildlife Federation Washington, D.C.

Jennifer Harnish Streams and Valleys Fort Worth, Texas

Roslyn Johnson Maryland-National Capital Park and Planning Commission Greenbelt, Maryland

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www.stopngo.com W W W. N R PA . O R G | D E C E M B E R 2 0 1 5 |

Parks & Recreation

7

EDITOR’S LET TER

Diligence, Not Despair

PRESIDENT AND CEO Barbara Tulipane, CAE

As 2015 draws to a close, many of us have disaster on the brain. At a time when we already long to be close to the ones we love, celebrating and enjoying the bounty of the holiday season, we’re lately even more compelled to draw our friends and families closer.

VICE PRESIDENT OF MARKETING, COMMUNICATIONS AND PUBLISHING, AND EDITORIAL DIRECTOR Gina Mullins-Cohen gcohen@nrpa.org

As of press time, we’re little more than a week past the horrific terrorist attacks in Paris that killed at least 130 people and wounded dozens more. In the western United States, a storm system that brought whiteout conditions to highways in Colorado threatened to inflict damaging tornadoes on Texas and points east. This coming winter, a strong El Niño weather system is expected to heavily influence weather and climate patterns in ways we cannot solidly predict.

EXECUTIVE EDITOR Samantha Bartram sbartram@nrpa.org MANAGING EDITOR Sonia Myrick smyrick@nrpa.org EDITORIAL INTERN

In all these instances, municipal services — often and particularly park and recreation agencies — may be called on to help citizens survive and cope with disaster. Our parks, sports fields and community centers are where we gather in the best of times to feel a deep sense of connection, support and freedom — that’s why it hurts us so deeply to see sports events and cultural celebrations attacked by terrorists.

It’s why Manhattan Beach Parks and Recreation’s Idris Al-Oboudi was so shaken when an earthquake struck his community, as author Sarah Thompson discusses in our cover feature, starting on page 40. When our safest-feeling spaces are attacked, either by man or nature, it is, indeed, a “shake-up call,” as Al-Oboudi puts it. Disaster is a painful motivator for preparedness, but, as Thompson details, park and recreation agencies are well-placed to be on the front lines of support should disaster strike.

Happily, Thompson’s piece — as well as that of Sarah McLaughlin, which begins on page 46 and details the state of New Orleans’ recreation landscape 10 years after Hurricane Katrina — also highlights the remarkable resiliency of our communities to rise from disaster, often better than before. In the right circumstances, disaster can sometimes make way for improvement in our emergency response protocols, the way our communities are engineered and how we enhance our communities through parks and recreation.

While it may be tempting to despair in what can feel like an unceasing wave of tragedy, the park and recreation professionals and agencies highlighted throughout this issue give us ample reason for hope. Parks and recreation provides the means to cultivate a sense of connection and empathy for our neighbors, colleagues, friends, families and patrons. It’s there to support us, whether we need a quiet walk or a place to shelter safely during a tornado.

With the new year on the horizon, it’s a great time to count the blessings we enjoy and pay them forward, while remaining ever vigilant in the communities we serve. Our patrons look to us to lead — in times of good and ill — and we must be ready.

Catrina Belt cbelt@nrpa.org PUBLICATION DESIGN Creative By Design www.creativebydesign.net SENIOR MANAGER OF ADVERTISING Dana Storm 703.858.2174 dstorm@nrpa.org MAGAZINE ADVISORY BOARD MEMBERS Keith Anderson Gerald Brown Ernest Burkeen Gwendolyn Chambers Brendan Daley Ryan Eaker Mariela Fernandez Robert García Kathleen Gibi Paul Gilbert Sandra Gonzalez Greg Harrison Todd Lehman Sam Mendelsohn Maria Nardi Gil Peñalosa Dr. Kevin Riley Paula Sliefert Anne-Marie Spencer

GINA MULLINS-COHEN Vice President of Marketing, Communications and Publishing Editorial Director 8

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Stephen Springs Randy Wiger

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

Fantastic insight into finding a balance between combat readiness and environmental protection.

As a retired military officer turned outdoor recreation executive, I can tell you that understanding each other’s mission is the key to conservation.

Comment from Bryan Martyn regarding NRPA Vice President of Conservation and Parks Richard J. Dolesh’s November 2015 Conservation column, “Thinking ‘Outside the Fence’ Leads to Innovative Conservation,” (www.parksandrecreation. org/2015/November/Thinking-Outside-the-Fence-Leads-to-Innovative-Conservation) This is a great start to an article... It just seems to be missing a great deal of information. Let me start by saying that I love that the Windy City’s leaders recognize that

10 Parks & Recreation

the parks and community centers attached to neighborhoods are the heart and hub of a city, but this was more of a highlight reel of recreation in Chicago. Where is the information on how much money was spent on this fiveyear challenge, where did the money come from...bonds, private corporations and lemonade stands? How are they working with neighborhoods?

Were the neighborhoods invited to participate in the planning of the restorations? Were they reached out to to see what they wanted and not just told what the plan was going to be? I really do love the statement to “draw people from across the city to play together,” but how? Yes you have an amazing destination, but how are the kids and older patrons getting there? How do they know and learn about the programs? How much cost will the families incur...These are the questions I would love to see in addition to this article. GO CUBS! Comment from Dan Bagley, Recreation Facilities and Program Supervisor III for the Raleigh,

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North Carolina, Parks, Recreation and Cultural Services Department, regarding the October 2015 feature article, “Welcome to Chicagoland,” (www. parksandrecreation.org/2015/October/ Welcome-to-Chicagoland) What is it with these idiots who think they can inflict their noisy, intrusive and potentially dangerous gadgets on other people? We were buzzed by a drone while hiking recently. The drone came to within 3 feet of our heads. Ho ho ho, big joke. Is there any electronic device that you can carry in order to bring down drones that come too close?

Some kind of signal-scrambling instrument?

Comment from Mike Puelston regarding NRPA Vice President of Conservation and Parks Richard J. Dolesh’s March 2015 feature, “The Drones are Coming,” (www. parksandrecreation.org/2015/March/ The-Drones-are-Coming) [Tom Sawyer’s Play Island] is a truly wonderful playground in an absolutely beautiful county park! Such a gem! Thank you, Karen Cheney.

Comment from Christina Semeraro regarding Lynn Pinoniemi’s August 2015 article, “A Woodland Adventure at Amelia Earhart Park,” (www.parksandrecreation.org/2015/August/A-WoodlandAdventure-at-Amelia-Earhart-Park)

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Archive Throwback: July 2011

By Samantha Bartram

T

his month’s issue focuses on disaster and the role parks and recreation plays in supporting our communities through the most harrowing of times. More than one story herein mentions the unique impact disasters of all kinds — tornadoes, hurricanes, earthquakes, mass shootings, floods and others — have on children, and the particular care that is needed in tending to them.

Children are fragile, but they’re also resilient and, when given the proper opportunities, tools and motivation, incredibly strong and motivated.

Harvey Chipkin’s July, 2011, article, “A Few Good Kids: Youth Conservation Corps Make Parks Better and Society Richer,” is not about how to care for children or families during disaster.

Rather, it highlights the remarkable capacity children and teens have to care for and give back to their communities.

Chipkin invokes President Franklin D. Roosevelt’s Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC) program to dig into the state of youth involvement and local volunteerism during the Great Recession that began in 2008. “With the Great Recession now echoing parts of the Great Depression, some see a revival of the CCC — in spirit and mission if not in fact,” he writes.

The parallels Chipkin draws between Roosevelt’s CCC initiative and the modern phenomenon of youth corps and similar programs include: • Governments and nonprofits calling on citizens — volunteer and paid — to help maintain and restore parks and natural areas; • Opportunities for young people to learn about nature and the envi-

12 Parks & Recreation

ronment and to enjoy potentially career-changing experiences; and • National networks and organizations — governmental and nonprofit — that seek to emulate, at least in part, the CCC ethos.

Chipkin goes on to detail youth corps programs across the country that made a significant impact on their communities, parks, educational systems and local governments.

He notes the many and varied benefits of such activities, including the completion of infrastructure or beautification projects; the facilitation of additional parks programs; cultivating deep and meaningful connections to nature and the out-

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doors; valuable exposure to the professional realm and different careers, including those in municipal government or parks and recreation; and instilling community pride.

It’s true — children are our future.

We need them to step up to fight for our environment, health and overall well-being. What we’re reminded of, via Chipkin’s inspirational column, is that children are ready, willing and able to accept the challenge, if only we’ll support them along the way.

In Conclusion This month we bring the Archive Throwback to a close. Conceived as a fun and fitting way to celebrate NRPA’s 50th anniversary, this space allowed for reflection on the challenges that have vexed our field for decades, as well as marvel at the many advances we’ve made. From the magazine’s black-and-white, text-heavy iterations of the mid-1960s to today’s colorful, glossy pages, Parks & Recreation has been NRPA’s mouthpiece for news, calls to action, inspiration, recognition of excellence and discussion of pressing social and political issues.

We plan to continue this proud tradition into 2016 and beyond, and we welcome your ideas and feedback.

Visit www.parksandrecreation.org to comment on the stories you read in these pages, or email sbartram@ nrpa.org with your letters and great ideas. See you next year.

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

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Community Center American Societal Changes Affect Municipal Public Services

By Roger L. Kemp, Ph.D., ICMA-CM

W

idespread societal changes in the United States are having a dramatic impact on the types and levels of municipal public services provided in recent years by our cities to their citizens. This includes park and recreation offerings, which often involve many facets of public life, including feeding programs, health and wellness services, child care, cultural services, planning and economic development.

For our purposes here, societal changes currently affecting the dissemination of municipal public services, particularly those including and related to leisure services, may include: • More sophisticated computer hardware systems and software applications, coupled with ease of access through Internet-based interfaces

• Wi-Fi, Geographic Information Systems (GIS) and Global Positioning Systems (GPS) being used to improve the level of public services, as well as enhance economic development • The influx of immigrants and an aging population creating new demands for public services

• Recent economic downturns creating a need for additional revenues and stretching thin existing municipal coffers • Changing economics of American families, with many parents working full-time and little or no access to affordable child care Impact on Public Services These societal changes have influenced and impacted the services outlined below, among others. While not all of them fall under the parks and recreation umbrella, these services are all tangentially related to — and often have a direct impact on — community services offered or managed by park and recreation departments. The following bulleted lists capture just a handful of ways in which operations of these social services have been affected by the changes outlined above.

Economic Development • GIS data, including environmental, income, population density and other census information, can help to stimulate economic development • Government funds may be made available to redevelop contaminated brownfield sites that must be cleaned before they can be revitalized Financial Services • Adjustments to departmental user fees and charges can impact an agency’s bottom line

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Public Works • The increased usage of GPS during inclement weather conditions to properly respond to storms, snowfalls and water damage and to improve driving conditions • The increased use of online services enabling citizens to report the location of graffiti and/or potholes, that staff can promptly remove or repair

• Many department managers, as well as their employees, can access their respective budgets online 247, throughout the year, to help facilitate better planning • Coordinated efforts to save funds from the current approved budget to offset a projected deficit for the coming fiscal year are now common, as are joint purchasing programs with other cities, counties, councils-of-government and even state governments Health Services • More health-related educational programs are being provided to senior citizens • A greater number of physical fitness workshops are being provided to senior citizens • Many educational programs and services are being provided to reduce childhood obesity • Health-related literature and programmatic offerings are commonly being made available to citizens of all ages Information Technology (IT) • State-of-the-art websites are increasingly commonplace to help citizens navigate all governmental departments, including management of registration for park and recreation events and services • In some cases, organization-wide departmental user committees are formed to ensure that all municipal departments and functions are being properly served from an IT standpoint • Social media is increasingly being used to announce events and information to the public Parks and Recreation • The expansion of feeding pro

grams for both children and senior citizens • The increased amount of programmatic offerings demanded by citizens of all ages • The increased dissemination of health-related information, including encouraging healthier eating and exercise habits • The placement and/or enlargement of computer rooms for community-wide Internet access Planning and Building • Some planning services, zoning maps and property assessment information may be obtained online, making it easier to envision new projects and compare services across municipalities • Nationally, there has been some consolidation by states of the number of workforce training, tourism and planning districts (e.g., including regional councils of government) • Public officials are increasingly taking measures to revitalize their city’s main streets with wider sidewalks, more trees and vegetation, and benches for citizens to relax on — not just for waiting to catch the bus

The Future Public officials and local government employees have only limited control over the dynamics of their “working environment,” whether political, economic, social or legal. Politically, those dynamics are affected by the election of liberal, conservative or moderate municipal officials, or some combination thereof. In terms of economics, residents may be looking at hard times through decreased property values, or boom times when new businesses move in to increase the tax base. An aging population, fluctuating income levels and disparate access to education impacts the social environment. Finally, municipal policies and initiatives are bound by the rule of law, which may be cumbersome or time-consuming to modify or update.

Local public officials, including park and recreation leaders, must respond to these societal changes, even if they may have little or no direct control over them. It is better to recognize the shifting social landscape and plan ahead, than be forced to react in circumstances that are perhaps not ideal.

Roger L. Kemp, Ph.D., ICMA-CM, is a Professor in the School of Public Service, Department of Public Management, at Henry Lee College, University of New Haven (rlkbsr@snet.net).

W W W. N R PA . O R G | D E C E M B E R 2 0 1 5 |

Parks & Recreation

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n Through a partnership of the NFL, NFL Network and NRPA, local park and recreation sites in eight designated NFL markets may apply for the opportunity to receive funding support and/or equipment to complement their after-school physical activity/health and wellness education programs. One local park and recreation site in each of the eight markets will be selected to receive an NFL PLAY 60 grant valued at $7,500 to provide new equipment, curriculum, refurbished play spaces, additional staff to run physical activity-based programming, or support the start or growth of an NFL PLAY 60 program. Grant applications for the NFL PLAY 60 After-School Kickoff Grant Program are being accepted now through January 15, 2016. For more information about this grant and to apply, visit www. nflfoundation.org/applications/ programs/view/NRPA. n Some teachers and occupational therapists say an increasing number of children are showing up for kindergarten without the fine motor skills needed to grip a marker, hold their paper still while coloring or to cut and glue shapes. Some therapists believe the Back to Sleep campaign, which promotes placing infants on their backs to sleep, has delayed muscle development. Others attribute it to the fact that today’s children spend less time outside, where they might have more opportunities to explore how their bodies move through space, learn to balance and figure how to handle toys and tools in relation to one another. n Senators Richard Blumenthal (DCT) and Bill Nelson (D-FL) have

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called on the Consumer Product Safety Commission to lead an “independent investigation into the health risks of crumb rubber” turf, recycled tires used as surface cover on playgrounds and athletic fields across the country. They are the latest congressional officials to call for research on crumb rubber since news reports on the playing surface began more than a year ago. To date, no studies have definitively linked crumb rubber to cancer or any disease, and the turf industry says that dozens of studies have shown there is no health risk.

However, the industry and some experts believe more tests are needed to determine the product’s safety and that the federal government should take a clear position. n For its annual meeting and trade show, the Georgia Recreation and Park Association featured former NBA superstar, now VP for the Atlanta Hawks, Dominique Wilkins, as the keynote speaker. His message centered on the theme of investing in individuals as a way to have a greater impact on the community. Wilkins, one of eight children of a single mother, credits his local parks in Baltimore for contributing to his upbringing. Specifically, he credits his local park director who he says is the man who “turned him from being just a clumsy tall guy” and taught him how to play basketball. The lessons about basketball, life and respecting those who offer their time to teach you something is what Wilkins says allowed him to have a successful career.

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

Hot Topics

which has proven to be a valuable tool. Visit this post to get new ideas and see how your policy compares.

Visit www.nrpaconnect.org and let the networking begin! Need

help accessing your profile? Contact us by email at customerservice@nrpa.org or by phone at 800.626.6772.

The year may be winding down, but that doesn’t mean the conversations are stopping on NRPA Connect!

Now is the time to network with your peers to gain inspiration for 2016. Below are some of the topics being discussed on the only networking platform dedicated to the park and recreation profession: Geocache/Letterbox in Natural Areas: Your colleagues discuss their policies regarding the placement of geocaches on park property. For example, some agencies limit caches to specific preserves, make available maps of areas were caches are allowed and require a permit be obtained before caches can be placed.

Outdoor Fitness Equipment: Is your agency looking for new outdoor fitness equipment? Participants in this thread share their equipment recommendations, weigh in on the pros and cons of location placement and discuss maintenance concerns.

Coaching Requirements: Are potential new coaches required to complete a background check? Do you offer coaching incentives? Do you have staff at all practices and games? Follow this discussion to learn the best practices for volunteer coaching requirements other professionals are using.

On-Call Policy: What is your agency’s current on-call policy?

Do you offer compensation or flextime benefits? One agency shares its “Manager on Duty” policy,

W W W. N R PA . O R G | D E C E M B E R 2 0 1 5 |

Parks & Recreation

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By the Numbers

With a Little Help From Friends

Forbes.com reported this past summer that by 2016, crowdfunding would account for more start-up monies than venture capital. This is an amazing development since up until about six years ago, crowdfunding was a relatively new phenomenon — the term “crowdfunding” was coined by entrepreneur Michael Sullivan in 2006. Now, even the Smithsonian Institution has embarked on its first crowdfunding campaign to raise the money needed to preserve Neil Armstrong’s Apollo 11 astronaut suit. In keeping with this trend, NRPA created Fund Your Park, a crowdfunding platform designed exclusively for park and recreation agencies. Since its launch, Fund Your Park has helped several agencies to either raise enough funds or created the momentum to help them reach their goals. Following are some interesting facts about crowdfunding in general, and Fund Your Park in particular:

Crowdfunding: +

160,000 : Number of donors, including

young children, businessmen, street cleaners and politicians, to the Joseph Pulitzer fundraising campaign to cover the final $100,000 needed to complete the Statue of Liberty

1997:

The year crowdfunding is said to have started with the British rock band Marillion (the band raised $60,000 online to fund its U.S. tour)

4:

The primary types of crowdfunding: • Equity-Based: Investors receive a stake in the company • Donation-Based: Contributions go toward a charitable cause • Lending-Based: Investors are repaid for their investment over a period of time • Reward-Based: Investors receive a tangible item or service in return for their funds

$26.1 million:

Amount raised on #GivingTuesday, December 2, 2014 (up from $19.2 million in 2013 and $10.1 million in 2012, the first time this campaign was held)

17 minutes: Time it took Pebble

Technology to raise $500,000 during a February 2015 campaign

308: Number of crowdfunding platforms world-

wide in 2013

Sources: www.virgin.com/entrepreneur/a-brief-history-of-crowdfunding, www.forbes.com/sites/chancebarnett/2015/06/09/ trends-show-crowdfunding-to-surpass-vc-in-2016, https:// doublethedonation.com/blog/2015/09/expert-advice-on-taking-advantage-of-giving-tuesday, www.crowdfunding.de/crowdfunding-wortschoepfer-michael-sullivan-im-interview, www. mobilecause.com/statistics, and www.nrpa.org/fund-your-park 18 Parks & Recreation

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Fund Your Park:

$625,646: Total amount of funds raised through Fund Your Park 30: The number of projects that have benefited from Fund Your Park 19: The number of states represented by projects featured on Fund Your Park $401,630: The highest amount raised so far for an individual project on Fund Your Park 39: Average number of participants per Fund Your Park campaign 8: Number of playgrounds featured on Fund Your Park

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People For Parks ‘Jerry Gergich’ Shares a Moment With Lawrence Parks and Rec

By Roger Steinbrock

T

he City of Lawrence, Kansas, Parks and Recreation Department celebrated being a finalist for the NRPA Gold Medal Award Class III category for the third time (1997, 1998 and 2015) with a staff get-together in early October. Although we didn’t achieve the top prize, being a finalist was still worth celebrating. So, when the opportunity to have Jim O’Heir, who played Jerry Gergich on the television show “Parks and Recreation,” visit our department, I knew this was the perfect chance to surprise staff and bring a higher level of fun to our event.

Since most staff was not present when the finalist plaque was presented to our department at the 2015 NRPA Annual Conference, the decision was made to have O’Heir present the plaque to the department. So, as Jerry Gergich from Pawnee, Indiana, Parks and Recreation was introduced, O’Heir walked out from the shadows as the show’s theme song was played. The majority of the staff

recognized him and was shocked he was at the event. After the short ceremony, O’Heir graciously posed for selfies, pictures and videos with staff and officials. He even more graciously allowed me to interview him about his visit, the profession of parks and recreation, his memories of interactions with parks and recreation growing up, and his time on the show “Parks and Recreation.”

Jim O’Heir, known fondly for his role as Jerry Gergich in the hit television show “Parks and Recreation,” stands next to the entrance sign for South Park, Lawrence’s first established park.

Lawrence Parks and Recreation Department: When you were asked to drop in and help us celebrate, what was your initial reaction?

Jim O’Heir: When I was contacted, I thought the idea was perfect. All of us on the show have heard from different park and rec departments from all over the country. We’re all big fans of the work they do. One of my best friends has a sister (Sue Chaney) who lives in Lawrence, Kansas. When she heard I was going to be doing a show at The New Theater in Overland Park, she made reservations to come see it and brought her husband Mitch and friend Kathy who, as it turns out, is involved with programs of the Parks and Recreation Department in Lawrence. On their drive home after the show, Mitch pitched the idea of having me show up to a parks department event. Kathy started putting it all together and realized the department was going to receive an award and it would be fun to have me present it.

LPRD: You mentioned it was your first time visiting a park and recreation agency. Reflecting on the time you spent with us, what was your take away?

O‘Heir: I took away how much pride everyone takes in their job. I could tell from all the people I spoke with that they were happy to be bringing such beauty to their community. I’m guessing it’s easy for residents to just take for granted that everything is so perfect, but the employees know

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O’heir paid a visit to the Lawrence, Kansas, Parks and Recreation Department to surprise staff members with their Gold Medal Award Class III nomination plaque.

LPRD: You mentioned park and recreation professionals often tell you something that happened on the show was exactly like a situation that happened at their agency. Do you remember any of those conversations and what parts of the show most resonated with them?

O’Heir: I’ve gotten emails and tweets from Parks and Recreation Departments all over the country since the show started. Almost all of them said we nailed it. It seems like most of them can relate to the interactions we portrayed with the local citizens, especially the community meetings.

I’m guessing that every town has their own “interesting” citizens who like to make their opinions known.

a kid, did you participate in park and recreation activities in your hometown? Do you have any memories of your time spent in a parks and recreation program or memories about a particular park?

O’Heir: To be honest, I’m not sure if I had involvement with park and recreation programs specifically. I was involved in Cub Scouts and swam daily at the local pool. Being a kid, I didn’t know who operated these things...I was just happy it was available to me. As far as a particular park, we lived near Lan Oak Park in Lansing, Illinois, and we would go there all the time. As I grew up, it became the hang out with my buddies. We played basketball, swam and just goofed off.

I still drive by there every time I’m back home. It’s a place that holds so many memories.

LPRD: NRPA’s “I’m a Park and Rec Kid!” campaign asks people to reflect on their youth and their interaction with parks and recreation. As

LPRD: What’s your favorite episode of the show? Why? O’Heir: I have many favorite episodes, so it’s hard to nail down just one. But,

how hard they work to make it all come together.

I can tell you that early in season two there was an episode called “The Hunting Trip.” The reason it stands out for me is because it was the first episode that we were all together out of the office. We went to a cabin for a hunting trip and of course some terrible things happen. I just loved being with everyone out of the soundstage, and I think it gave us all a chance to get to know each other better. It was the beginning of many years of laughs and love.

LPRD: Anything else you’d like to add?

O’Heir: I would just like to thank you again for including me in your special day. From what I’ve seen, you guys (park and recreation agencies across the country) are working hard and making a huge difference in your communities. You should all be very, very proud.

Roger Steinbrock is with the Marketing Division for the City of Lawrence, Kansas, Parks and Recreation Department (rsteinbrock@lawrenceks.org).

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Member to Member New First Aid and CPR Guidelines: Step in to Save a Life

By Jonathan l. Epstein

J

ust as park and recreation agencies constantly evaluate operations, so does the science community when it comes to first aid and resuscitation.

Updates are made when the science dictates, and a formal process occurs every five years.

The results of the formal five-year evaluation process were announced this October by the American Red Cross and American Heart Association (AHA). Last updated in 2010, these recommendations form the recognized scientific basis for most first-aid training around the world and will be phased into a majority of training starting in 2016.

At a glance, the recommendations make the rescue/first-aid process more streamlined and efficacious, but they are not a dramatic departure from past practices.

“First aid can be initiated by any-

one in any situation, and our responsibility as experts is to designate assessments and interventions that are medically sound and based on scientific evidence or expert consensus,” says Eunice “Nici” Singletary, M.D., co-chair of the International Liaison Committee on Resuscitation (ILCOR) First Aid Task Force and chair of the Red Cross Scientific Advisory Council’s First Aid Subcouncil. “Knowing the correct steps to take in those critical first moments of an emergency can mean the difference between life and death.”

Summary of the Most Noteworthy Revisions Bleeding updates: The revised guidelines stress the importance of stopping severe bleeding as a critical first-aid skill. Almost all bleeding can be controlled by steady, direct, manual pressure, with or without a gauze or cloth dressing over the wound. The guidelines recommend pressing hard and holding steady pressure for at least five minutes without lifting the dressings to see if the bleeding has stopped.

Tourniquets should be considered for severe, life-threatening bleeding on a leg or arm. For open wounds not on an extremity, the guidelines suggest use of a hemostatic dressing, which is coated with a special agent to enhance clotting and help stop bleeding when correctly applied and combined with direct pressure. Hemostatic dressings are readily available online and at pharmacies.

Exertional dehydration: In the absence of shock, confusion or the inability to swallow, first-aid providers should assist or encourage individuals with exertional dehydration to orally rehydrate with a 5-8 percent carbohydrate-electrolyte (CE) drink.

Other beverages, such as coconut water and 2-percent milk, have also been found to promote rehydration after exercise-associated dehydration. If a CE-based sports drink or these alternatives are not available, drinkable water may be used.

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Heat stroke: Persons suffering a heat-related illness with a change in mental status, such as confusion, sleepiness, vision disturbances and seizures, are likely to be suffering from heat stroke. Responders should immediately apply rapid active cooling measures and call 911.

Hypoglycemia: Early treatment of hypoglycemia (low blood sugar) while the person is still awake and able to follow instructions can prevent progression to more serious hypoglycemia that would require advanced treatment. To avoid giving too much or too little sugar, the new guidelines recommend use of glucose tablets (15-20 gm) that can be purchased at a retail pharmacy.

Glucose tablets have been shown to be more effective at resolving symptoms of hypoglycemia than dietary forms of sugar. If glucose tablets are not available, food sources such as sucrose candies, fruit leather strips or orange juice can still be used, in that order of preference.

Anaphylaxis: Under the revised guidelines for treating anaphylaxis (severe allergic reaction), if symptoms persist beyond the initial dose and arrival of advanced care will exceed 5-10 minutes, the first-aid provider may give a second epinephrine injection from a prescribed auto-injector.

Recognition of stroke: Approximately 800,000 Americans have a stroke each year, leaving them at risk for long-term disability. Early recognition of stroke through the use of a stroke assessment system (i.e., the Face, Arms, Speech and Time, or FAST, assessment tool) decreases the interval between the time that the incident occurs and the time it

takes for that person to arrive at a hospital and receive specific treatment. This faster time to treatment may reduce the damage and disability from a stroke.

Use of aspirin with heart attacks: The updated guidelines clarify that aspirin should be used only when helping someone suspected of having a heart attack, characterized by symptoms such as chest pain accompanied by nausea, sweating and pain in the arm and back. If the first-aid provider is unclear on whether this is a heart attack or simply someone experiencing non-cardiac-related chest pain or discomfort, then aspirin should not be given. Additionally, the updated guidelines emphasize that there is no need to distinguish between enteric (coated, time-release tablets) versus non-enteric coated aspirin as long as the aspirin is chewed before being swallowed.

CPR Updates Highlight Importance of Taking Action The latest CPR guidelines highlight how quick action, proper training, use of technology and coordinated efforts can increase survival from cardiac arrest. More than 326,000 people experience cardiac arrest outside of a hospital each year and about 90 percent of them die.

The 2015 guidelines say high-quality CPR training will help responders act confidently and provide better CPR to cardiac arrest victims.

Additionally, research shows resuscitation skills can decline within a few months — far before the twoyear current evaluation standard.

Conducting regular in-service CPR training will help ensure that employees deliver the highest quality of emergency cardiovascular care.

The American Heart Association cites the following as key points from the 2015 guidelines update: Untrained bystanders: If they haven’t done so already, lifeguards and other trained responders should encourage bystanders to call 911.

Trained lay responders: Trained responders should simultaneously perform steps in an effort to reduce the time to the first chest compression. While the guidelines encourage use of hands-only CPR (CPR without rescue breaths) for untrained responders, they continue to recommend that trained lay responders conduct CPR with breaths.

Compression rate and depth: For adults, upper limits of recommended rate and compression depth have been added based on new data suggesting that excessive compression rates and depth are less effective. The key points for rescuers to remember are to perform chest compressions at a rate of 100 to 120 per minute and to a depth of at least 2 inches, avoiding excessive depths greater than 2.4 inches. Rescuers should also avoid being too shallow with compressions to achieve the best possible outcomes.

Proper and robust training around these updated guidelines will give your staff the technical edge needed to ensure the safety and health of all patrons if or when a medical emergency should occur. For more information about first-aid training, visit www.redcross.org/ux/take-a-class.

Jonathan Epstein is a paramedic and Senior Director of Science and Content Development for the American Red Cross (jonathan.epstein@redcross.org).

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Immanuel Giel

ADVOCACY

Parks, Recreation and Green Infrastructure

By Kevin O’Hara

I

n many places across the country, parks and recreation agencies are among the largest landholders in a given city, county or town. From San Diego to Philadelphia, and in dozens of communities in between, parklands are also being used to soak up rainwater where it falls, and in some places, parks are managing stormwater from surrounding areas. For the more than 700 cities that have a combined sewer system, this could mean new dollars for park and rec agencies. These “green infrastructure” approaches are not new to many enterprising agencies, but the recognition of parks as players in the discussion on how we as a nation manage our water resources is new.

Last year, NRPA was invited to serve as a charter member of the White House Green Infrastructure Collaborative (http://water.epa.gov/ infrastructure/greeninfrastructure/ gi_partners.cfm). This group of federal agencies, associations and nonprofits is charged with working collaboratively to advance green infrastructure in constituent communities. The collaborative will build capacity for green infrastructure implementation

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by providing a platform for national stakeholders to: • Leverage joint efforts to promote the multiple community benefits of green infrastructure; • Build and share knowledge around emerging green infrastructure technologies and policy issues; and • Facilitate shared inquiry into the best ways to encourage adoption of green infrastructure technologies at the local level.

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To further these goals, in October the Environmental Finance Center at the University of Maryland and the Syracuse Environmental Finance Center hosted a first-of-itskind Green Infrastructure Learning Lab (http://efc.umd.edu/greeninfrastructurelearninglab.html) in College Park, Maryland. This event was designed to build on the Green Infrastructure Summits offered during the past two years that promoted peer-to-peer exchange among communities of all sizes as they grapple with local stormwater management requirements and goals across the country. The Green Infrastructure Learning Lab continued this type of exchange, but also connected communities with the tools, resources and experiences of the Green Infrastructure Collaborative, a number of

nonprofit organizations and associations working on these issues.

This writer led a session featuring local stakeholders on “Tools to Create Community Spaces” (http://efc.umd.edu/assets/ green_infrastructure/session_3a_ community_spaces_npra_and_arlington_and_dc.pdf) where participants discussed opportunities and challenges to implementing green infrastructure projects in public

rain gardens and underground detention basins make multiuse public parks feasible.

• Budgets are tight! If you are not a stormwater permit holder, you are unlikely to be incentivized to sink extra dollars into managing stormwater beyond the borders of your park. Successful projects take a partnership with a water utility or other agency to help pay for the water management.

In municipalities of varying climates, there is a growing appetite to address water resource issues with green infrastructure.

parks, streets and schoolyards. The session featured Arlington County, Virginia’s, Parks and Recreation Department, the county’s Bureau of Environmental Services, and the Chicago-based nonprofit Openlands, which is working on transforming schoolyards in Chicago to manage stormwater and to provide wildlife habitat and, of course, great places to play.

Some of the key takeaways from the lab include: • Most green infrastructure projects are driven by the need to comply with Clean Water Act requirements. Some park and recreation agencies are responsible for their stormwater, many are not.

• Competing uses in parks (active versus passive recreation, humans versus dogs) can make it difficult to implement green infrastructure projects, but good design using permeable pavers, strategically placed

In municipalities of varying climates, there is a growing appetite to address water resource issues with green infrastructure. Whether managing stormwater runoff, mitigating flooding risks or recharging groundwater supplies, park and recreation agencies, as major landholders, have opportunities to help their communities with water challenges.

NRPA continues to engage with federal partners and sister organizations in promoting the role of parks and rec as solution providers in addressing water-management issues.

If you or your agency has good examples of green infrastructure approaches to managing stormwater, flood control or water capture/ groundwater recharge, please share by emailing kohara@nrpa.org.

Kevin O’Hara is NRPA’s Vice President of Urban and Government Affairs (kohara@ nrpa.org).

NRPA Supporting Green Infrastructure NRPA was recently awarded a twoyear, $2.5 million grant from the JPB Foundation to explore the social and environmental benefits of green infrastructure projects in underserved communities. This new program, a component of the Great Urban Parks Campaign, contributes to our efforts to engage public parks and recreation in implementing goals that exemplify the Three Pillars — Conservation, Health and Wellness and Social Equity. We are collaborating with the American Planning Association and the Low Impact Development Center to implement this work.

Our approach includes two simultaneous strategies: We will create and disseminate evidence-based educational resources to support park and recreation leaders and planners to implement green infrastructure in parks to maximize community benefits; and we will award grants to support replicable green infrastructure projects in parks in underserved communities. These strategies will enable us to document and share models for how park and recreation agencies, working in partnership with other agencies and organizations, can contribute to community resiliency and make green infrastructure do more to connect children to nature, provide recreational access for the public and provide more environmentally responsible solutions for stormwater management.

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Park Ban on Unattended Holiday Displays

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

I

f you can’t do it right, don’t do it at all. As illustrated by the federal circuit court opinion described herein, this approach may not only make good common sense, but also good legal sense under certain circumstances. Traditional holiday displays in public parks have increasingly generated contentious constitutional law challenges, particularly by individuals and groups opposed to any display of religious symbolism in public spaces in general and public parks in particular. Over the years, many of these traditional holiday displays giving rise to legal controversies had been erected and maintained by private parties with the tacit or expressed permission of the local government.

More Trouble Than It’s Worth In the case of Santa Monica Nativity Scenes Committee v. City of Santa Monica, 784 F.3d 1286; 2015 U.S. App. LEXIS 7155 (9th Cir. 4/30/2015), upon the advice of legal counsel, the city chose to avoid potentially costly constitutional law pitfalls by eliminating private holiday displays altogether from a popular public park.

Palisades Park in Santa Monica, California, regarded as the “crown

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jewel” of the city’s park system, is a picturesque 14-block strip of land that overlooks Santa Monica State Beach and the Pacific Ocean. Beginning in about 1955, every year during December, local residents erected a series of large dioramas in the park depicting various scenes from the biblical story of Christmas.

The display consisted of 14 booths, each 18 feet long and filled with lifesized mannequins and decorations.

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Putting up and taking down this elaborate display was a significant undertaking, and in 1983, the nonprofit Santa Monica Nativity Scenes Committee (“committee”) was organized to manage the yearly construction of the dioramas.

In the early years of the nativity scene’s existence, the City of Santa Monica had no formal regulations dealing with private, unattended structures on public parkland, and the city allowed and even encouraged the yearly display of the committee’s nativity scenes.

In 1994, the city prohibited the construction of unattended displays — i.e., large, multiday installations — in its parks, but nonetheless continued to allow the nativity scenes.

Subsequently, in 2003, the city council enacted an exception to the

general prohibition on unattended displays to allow the “long-standing tradition” of the nativity scenes in Palisades Park to continue.

This “Winter Display” exception authorized unattended displays during the month of December, but only in Palisades Park. Under the Winter Display rule, all members of the community, not just the committee, were permitted to put up displays, and display space was to be allocated on a first-come, first-served basis. The Winter Display system functioned without incident in its first few years of existence, during which time the only applicant who requested substantial display space was the committee.

In 2011, however, applications for Winter Display space surged. That year, a number of atheists who opposed the placement of religious displays in Palisades Park applied for Winter Display space. In response to increased demand, the city instituted a lottery system to allocate the available space. As a result, the atheists received the majority of the display spots. The committee alleged these applications were a coordinated attempt to keep the space away from the committee and other religious groups. The committee and the atheists both vowed to flood the display-space lottery with even more applications in 2012.

In early 2012, the city attorney submitted two separate reports to the city council in which she recommended that the city council eliminate the legal exception permitting Winter Displays in Palisades Park.

In these reports, the city’s attorney acknowledged the First Amendment prohibited the city from picking and choosing which displays to allow in the park during December.

Accordingly, in the attorney’s opinion, the city had only two options: it could continue with the lottery system it had in place, or it could repeal the Winter Display system altogether. The city attorney recommended repealing the Winter Display system entirely. According to the attorney, Santa Monica residents wanted to “preserve the aesthetic qualities” of the park and their ability to “look at the ocean vista” for which the park was renowned, rather than continue to allow the Winter Displays.

Further, as noted by the city attorney, city staff had reported the lottery system for display space was “time consuming and costly” to operate, requiring the investment of hundreds of hours of staff time. Moreover, this problem was likely to intensify in the future because the groups involved had indicated that they planned to “flood” the lottery process in future years “to increase their odds of being allocated more spaces.”

In the opinion of the city attorney, eliminating the Winter Display exception would “serve the purposes of resolving the controversy, eliminating legal risks, conserving the staff time and resources necessary to operate a constitutionally valid regulatory system, conforming usage of Palisades Park to the long standing, city-wide standard which prohibits unattended displays in parks, and protecting the views of the park and ocean.”

The city council agreed with the city attorney and unanimously adopted an ordinance that repealed the Winter Display exception.

District Court The committee responded to enactment of the ordinance by suing the city, alleging the city’s policy banning private unattended displays in Palisades Park violated the First Amendment’s Free Speech Clause.

In particular, the committee claimed the challenged ordinance was an un-

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a traditional public forum is subject to strict scrutiny and will be upheld only if it is narrowly drawn to serve a compelling governmental interest.”

Content-neutral time, place and manner regulations…are permitted in traditional public forums if the regulations are narrowly tailored to serve a significant governmental interest and leave open ample alternative channels of communication.

Moreover, the federal appeals court found previous opinions issued by the U.S. Supreme Court indicated “a content-neutral ban on all private, unattended displays in a city’s parks is very likely to be a legitimate time, place and manner regulation.”

Further, the court found no “private constitutional right to erect a structure on public property” because such a right in “our traditional public forums, such as our public parks, would [allow parks to] be cluttered with all manner of structures.”

constitutional “heckler’s veto.” The heckler’s veto doctrine applies in situations where a particular speaker is silenced because his speech invites opposition, disorder or violence.

The federal district court disagreed and dismissed the committee’s claim.

In so doing, the federal district court found the city’s policy of banning all unattended displays in Palisades Park was content neutral and a valid time, place and manner regulation consistent with Free Speech Clause of the First Amendment. The committee 28 Parks & Recreation

appealed to the United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit.

Parks a Traditional Public Forum As noted by the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals, all parties agreed that Palisades Park was a “traditional public forum.” Since public parks are categorized as such for First Amendment purposes, the court acknowledged that the government’s ability to regulate speech is “sharply circumscribed.” Specifically, “a content-based speech regulation in

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Heckler’s Veto In this particular instance, the committee conceded that the challenged ordinance was content neutral. In other words, the ordinance did not discriminate between particular displays based on their content. On the contrary, the ordinance effectively banned all unattended displays in Palisades Park. That being said, the committee claimed the reaction by atheist groups to the religious content of their displays prompted the city’s ban on all unattended displays in Palisades Park. As a result, the committee claimed the ban invoked the “heckler’s veto” doctrine wherein it may be unconstitutional for the government to restrict or “veto” speech in reaction to the opposition of other antagonistic observers or “hecklers.”

The [heckler’s veto] doctrine pro-

hibits the government from pointing to the “reaction of listeners” to speech as a “secondary effect” justifying that speech’s regulation; in other words, the government may not regulate speech on the grounds that it will cause its hearers anger or discomfort.

If speech provokes wrongful acts on the part of hecklers, the government must deal with those wrongful acts directly; it may not avoid doing so by suppressing the speech.

In this particular instance, the committee had contended “Ordinance 2401 was a heckler’s veto because the city council enacted it in response to the atheists’ objections to the committee’s nativity scenes.” Specifically, the committee argued “the city reacted to the controversy that had begun to brew over the competing claims for display space in Palisades Park by opting to suppress speech there altogether.” In so doing, the committee cited the city attorney’s reports and public remarks by city council members expressing “fear that the display controversy would escalate and turn ugly.”

The federal appeals court rejected this argument. As noted by the court, the “prototypical heckler’s veto case is one in which the government silences particular speech or a particular speaker due to an anticipated disorderly or violent reaction of the audience.” (Emphasis of the court) However, in this particular instance, the court found no “restriction of particular speech due to listeners’ actual or anticipated hostility to that speech.”

On the contrary, the court found “the city adopted a generally applicable regulation meant to balance competing speech rights rather than to suppress a particular message because of the audience’s reaction to it.”

In 2010 and 2011, the city was confronted for the first time in its

history with a profusion of requests for display space in Palisades Park — requests that the city reasonably believed the First Amendment required it to treat equally, given that the park is a traditional public forum. The city made an effort to accommodate both the committee and the other applicants for space, but the city soon came to the conclusion that the administrative problems and intramural strife caused by the Winter Display lottery system outweighed the benefits of continuing it…

It is sufficient for present purposes to note that the city set for itself the laudable goal of treating all applicants equally and that, once the city concluded that perpetuating the Winter Display system would be more trouble than it was worth, the city addressed the problem with a neutral regulation that banned all unattended displays, whether religious or secular.

Accordingly, in the opinion of the federal appeals court, the city did not violate the First Amendment when it chose to permit unattended displays in its public spaces for some period of time and then withdrew that permission when the displays later generated “controversy.”

Significant Governmental Interests In addition to being “content neutral,” to pass constitutional muster as a time, place and manner regulation, the federal appeals court noted that the challenged ordinance must also be “narrowly tailored to serve a significant governmental interest” and “leave open ample alternative channels for communication.”

In the opinion of the federal appeals court, the challenged ordinance “served at least two significant governmental interests” because it preserved park aesthetics and conserved city resources.

In the opinion of the federal appeals court, the challenged ordinance “served at least two significant governmental interests” because it preserved park aesthetics and conserved city resources.

As described by the federal appeals court, “the heckler’s veto doctrine is concerned with the possibility that particular speech will be wrongfully excluded from the marketplace of ideas merely because it is offensive to some of its hearers.” On the other hand, the court found the heckler’s veto would not apply “when a regulation applies to all speech and does not allow for arbitrary enforcement based on particular speech’s offensiveness.” (Emphasis of the court)

First, it preserved the aesthetic qualities of Palisades Park and prevented obstruction of patrons’ views of the ocean. The Supreme Court has held on several occasions that governments may regulate speech for aesthetic purposes. And the city has long manifested its intent to preserve its parks from clutter: since at least 1994, it has prohibited unattended displays in all parks while making a limited exception for “Winter Displays” in Palisades Park. Ordinance

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2401 simply made that prohibition applicable to all of Santa Monica’s parks at all times.

Second, Ordinance 2401 conserved the city’s resources. Prior to 2011, coordinating the Winter Displays in Palisades Park had been an easy task for the city’s staff. In 2011, however, the staff spent “hundreds of hours” administering the lottery system, and all indications were that the system would become more time-consuming in the future as the number of applications for space increased. It was permissible for the city to seek to alleviate this burden on its employees’ time.

Narrow Tailoring In the opinion of the federal appeals court, the challenged ordinance was also “narrowly tailored” to achieve the above-noted significant governmental interests. According to the court, the ordinance unquestionably “furthers the city’s interests in preserving the aesthetics of Palisades Park and conserving city resources.” Moreover,

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the court found the ordinance did not “burden substantially more speech than necessary” because the ordinance “affected only unattended displays” that “require laborious permitting in ways that other forms of speech, even attended displays, usually do not.”

In response, the committee pointed out “several steps that the city could have taken to address the problems it identified, short of repealing the Winter Display exception.” As noted by the federal appeals court, such “observations are irrelevant to the question of narrow tailoring.”

A time, place and manner regulation need not be the least restrictive or least intrusive means of furthering the government’s interests in order to be narrowly tailored. Rather, narrow tailoring requires only that a regulation promote substantial government interest that would be achieved less effectively absent the regulation and not burden substantially more speech than is necessary to further that interest.

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Alternative Channels of Communication Having found the challenged ordinance satisfied the “narrow tailoring requirement,” the federal appeals court also found the challenged ordinance “leaves open ample alternative channels of communication.” In the opinion of the court, “many alternative avenues” existed for the committee to “communicate its religious message” after the city excluded unattended displays from its parks. As noted by the court, the committee could “erect its unattended nativity scenes on private property.”

According to the court, the committee could also “speak in many other ways in Palisades Park, including erecting one-day, attended displays, leafleting, preaching, holding signs and caroling.”

The committee, however, found these “alternative channels of communication” were inadequate to reach their intended audience, i.e., visitors to Palisades Park. For the committee, Palisades Park was “the optimum location for reaching the greatest number

of spectators” in Santa Monica. As a traditional public forum, the appeals court acknowledged the committee could claim a First Amendment right to communicate their message to Palisades Park visitors. Such communication protected by the First Amendment, however, did not necessarily involve unattended displays. As characterized by the appeals court, consistent with the challenged ordinance, the committee would still be “able to speak in the park,” but “simply cannot do so by erecting large, unattended structures.”

ed that speakers do not have a First Amendment right to dictate the manner in which they convey their message within their chosen avenue.

On the contrary, the appeals court acknowledged, “Government may regulate the manner of speech in a content-neutral way.” (Emphasis of the court) Accordingly, consistent with the First Amendment, the court found the city could limit the manner of speech by requiring large displays to “be attended or erected as part of limited-duration ‘community events.’”

In the opinion of the federal ap-

The appeals court noted that speakers do not have a First Amendment right to dictate the manner in which they convey their message within their chosen avenue.

The committee also argued it was “impractical” to “arrange for the nativity scenes to be attended displays.”

Specifically, the committee claimed it could not “practically recruit volunteers or afford to pay people to be present” while the displays are up.

The appeals court rejected this argument. According to the appeals court, “the fact that the alternative channels of communication left open by a regulation are more expensive is not, by itself, sufficient to show that those alternative channels are inadequate.”

The committee contended further that the First Amendment “protects its right to choose a particular means or avenue of speech” — i.e., unattended displays. The federal appeals court agreed that “speakers have a First Amendment right to choose a particular means or avenue of speech to advocate their cause.”

That being said, the appeals court not

peals court, the challenged ordinance left open sufficient alternative channels of communication allowing “the committee to disseminate its message in person in many different ways, including attended displays and unattended displays that are part of single-day ‘community events.’”

Conclusion Having found the challenged ordinance was a “valid time, place and manner regulation,” the federal appeals court affirmed the judgment of the district court dismissing the committee’s claim under the Free Speech Clause of the First Amendment.

In so doing, the federal appeals court acknowledged that the committee might understandably resent “the way in which the city curtailed its traditional way of celebrating the Christmas season in Palisades Park,”

but the city did not violate the First Amendment when it banned all unattended private displays.

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.

Additional Resources For more information related to holiday displays in parks, check out these previous Law Review columns:

‘Unattended Structures’ Ban Includes Nativity Scene on Town Green

By James C. Kozlowski, Parks & Recreation magazine, February 2002 http://cehdclass.gmu.edu/jkozlows/lawarts/02FEB02.pdf

Religious Message Excluded From Christmas Displays in Park

By James C. Kozlowski, Parks & Recreation magazine, July 2004 http://cehdclass.gmu.edu/jkozlows/lawarts/07JUL04.pdf

Constitution Bans Religious Effect in Public Holiday Displays

By James C. Kozlowski, Parks & Recreation magazine, October 1989 http://cehdclass.gmu.edu/jkozlows/lawarts/10OCT89.pdf

A Christmas Carol in the Park From the Supremes

By James C. Kozlowski, Parks & Recreation magazine, June 1985 http://cehdclass.gmu.edu/jkozlows/lawarts/06JUN85.pdf

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FUTURE LEADERS

Let Young Professionals Take the Crowdfunding Reigns

By Kara Kish, MPA, CPRE, CPSI

T

raditional fundraising campaigns have a new best friend: Crowdfunding. The practice of funding a project or venture by raising many small amounts of money from a large number of people, typically via the Internet, is sweeping the globe. Park and recreation agencies have started to take notice and are beginning to incorporate crowdfunding efforts alongside traditional fundraising strategies.

also contributes a different perspective and approach. It would provide the agency with additional out-of-thebox, perhaps non-traditional thinking and steer clear from the “that’s the way it’s always been” mentality.

young professionals in planning an agency’s crowdfunding campaign?

Lindsay Labas: An agency’s crowdfunding campaign typically begins as most fundraising campaigns do, at the top, with financial decisions being made at an upper-management level.

[The process of] crowdfunding poses its own nuances, many favorable and easily navigable to young professionals who are experts in social media platforms. Including young professionals in a crowdfunding campaign

P&R: How can young professionals best approach their administrators to become involved in an agency’s crowdfunding campaign?

Labas: Expressing to administration that crowdfunding is of interest to you and/or is an area you would like to gain more experience with is step one. Secondly, a written proposal or plan of what the crowdfunding campaign would look like — goals and expectations, your desired role within the campaign, potential successes

Lindsay Labas, marketing director for Carmel Clay, Indiana, Parks and Recreation, a NRPA Gold-Medal winning agency, and a member of the NPRA Young Professional Network Leadership Team, sat down for a Q&A session to share some insights into the value of involving young professionals in crowdfunding campaigns.

Parks & Recreation magazine: What are the benefits of incorporating 32 Parks & Recreation

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and failures, budgetary impact, primary and secondary target markets, etc. — are all important factors to include. This shows administration, right from the start, that you are serious about your involvement and that there is passion and thought behind your vision and plan.

P&R: How can an agency position itself for success when starting a new crowdfunding campaign?

Labas: Promoting a large-scale, attractive project may be a good start for an agency as it learns the ins and outs of what crowdfunding entails.

Your agency may be looking to build a playground, include interpretive trail signage or install a new splash pad. Crowdfunding for these projects engages local supporters by getting them on board and believing in the product or service that you are selling. If they trust and believe in your brand, they most likely will assist with helping you fund and share your project, and ultimately reap the benefits when the project is completed.

Large-scale, attractive crowdfunding campaigns also familiarize the public with the fundraising platform, potentially leading to greater participation in future campaigns.

If [local supporters] trust and believe in your brand, they most likely will assist with helping you fund and share your project.

NRPA has implemented a Fund Your Park crowdfunding platform that does just that. In just one click, your local supporters will be engaged and sharing their experience with friends and family. It’s free to members, donations are tax deductible and you have all the support you need from NRPA staff.

P&R: What crowdfunding platforms are new or up and coming?

Labas: On the more creative side, Kickstarter and Indiegogo are probably the two most well-known crowdfunding platforms among young professionals and helped pave the way for other, similar platforms. Crowdrise and Razoo are two platforms that are geared more toward nonprofit sectors, giving back and raising money for great causes.

P&R: Are there any crowdfunding training resources available to young professionals to help increase their crowdfunding skills?

Labas: The best tool currently available is most definitely the Internet! You can search “how to launch a crowdfunding campaign” and hundreds of results come up with input on steps to launch a campaign, things to know before you launch one, communication and timing, must-dos, etc. You could spend hours just reading through success stories and insights on how to make your campaign successful. That being said, many of the skills you or your co-workers utilize in your everyday job can be extremely useful. Think about your co-workers and who already has the skills and knowledge to develop a plan for a compelling project, who can help obtain audience engagement and reach, and who can collect feedback. Sometimes, the best team and resources are right in front of your eyes.

Kara Kish, MPA, CPRE, CPSI, is a Superintendent with the Vigo County Parks and Recreation Department in Terre Haute, Indiana (kara.kish@vigocounty.in.gov).

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This clever Truck Farm, which features a robust garden towed on a flatbed trailer, visits Genesee County Parks Summer Playground Program to teach participating children about where their food comes from.

Nature Is Not a Place

By Jimmy O’Connor

P

ark and recreation agencies have fantastic nature centers. Often a signature facility at a destination park, standard fare for these nature centers includes critter displays, educational exhibits, interpretive trails and outdoors-oriented programming aimed at providing all who enter a truly memorable experience. Staffed by knowledgeable naturalists and biology-minded employees, and occasionally by volunteers, nature centers and the nature-based parks and preserves in which they are located offer an oasis for adults and children alike. Most nature centers are charged with educating the public about the wonders of nature — and most do an exemplary job at this.

But, this isn’t good enough. Nature does not exist exclusively at the nature center. When we limit nature learning to a special program or trip, as we often do, we limit the opportunity to truly know nature. Nature is neither a place nor a program. A nature experience should not await just those who make their way to the nature center or who enroll in the local nature program.

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Naturally Human Recognizing the environmental challenges that lie ahead, from warming to cooling and surge to scarcity, today’s youngsters will have serious responsibilities as adults. We have an obligation to help our next generation of environmental stewards understand the interconnectedness and importance of the natural world.

Park and recreation agencies can play

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a critical role in educating children (and adults) about nature, which is around us at every moment.

But first, it is important to redefine nature, if not for the dictionary itself, then certainly in casual use. A quick online search displays the following definition of nature: The phenomena of the physical world collectively, including plants, animals, the landscape and other features and products of the earth, as opposed to humans or human creations.

I challenge that humans and human creations are not part of nature.

Humans are just as interconnected to the ecosystem as anything else, relying on just as many other species, natural resources and climate patterns as any other animal on the planet. More importantly, human activity impacts more species, nat-

ural resources and climate patterns than any other animal on the planet.

Without the intrinsic connection of humans to nature, we risk the very survival of our species. Accepted definitions of the word aside, separating humans from nature is a recipe for putting people before planet, when, without a healthy planet, people simply don’t exist.

Natural Lessons in Unlikely Places As I look at my desk, I see a plastic calculator made of petroleum — a natural resource that has undeniably advanced our society. Next to it, I see my wallet (can’t sit on that all day) made of leather and I wonder if it is from the skin of a cow, deer or some other animal. Looking out the window, I see a pond that looks beautifully clear today, but that has a tendency to become muddy brown after a big rain — no doubt affected by nearby construction activity. I see ripples in the pond, presumably from a carp or bass surfacing momentarily. These are all part of nature — from the calculator to the carp. Without asking you to light incense and chant quietly (although, feel free if you wish), I invite you to look at nature not as a thing, but to accept that you and everything around you at all times are part of nature.

As a park and recreation professional, you have the privilege of guiding others, especially children. You have a great opportunity to help instill an appreciation and curiosity for nature. It does not matter if you are not a master naturalist or have a degree in some “ology.” You probably know more than you think and likely far more than the kids in your program when it comes to nature. Help them make the connection between nature and what they do and think.

Naturally Creative Strategies In preparation for this article, I queried NRPA Connect users for examples from agencies that are adding nature to traditionally non-nature programs and activities.

After only one response, I followed up by directly contacting several agencies I thought might be doing this. I received several good examples — some of which are noted below — however, it is apparent that great opportunity exists to integrate much more nature-learning across park and recreation programs and activities.

Genesee County Parks in Flint, Michigan, delivers a Summer Playground Program at five parks. The enrichment program provides children a safe, fun place to be and includes a healthy lunch each day.

Once per week, Truck Farm and Turtle Van visit each summer playground location, helping the kids connect nature to their programming activities and surroundings in the park. Truck Farm is a mobile garden, installed on the bed of a trailer. Turtle Van brings reptiles and animal education to off-site locations. Also integrated throughout the summer is For-Mar’s Nature’s Superheroes, an initiative that uses comic books and characters to teach about nature.

Maryland National Capital Park and Planning Commission in Prince Georges, Maryland, extends nature learning to its afterschool program and summer camps, including cheerleading, basketball and dance. Community gardens established at seven community centers allow participating youth to tend to the plants and cultivate a green thumb, while augmenting the core program focus.

Mecklenburg County Parks and Recreation in Charlotte, North

Carolina, is planning a 2016 summer camp segment called “How Did That Get in My Lunch Box?” based on a book of the same title.

Each week, camp kids will read a new page in the book and explore in-person the topic of the page. Activities such as taste-testing white and wheat bread and learning the differences between their production and nutrition will be covered in this program.

Another great idea is to incorporate nature-focused signage. Your lowflow restroom should have signage that says more than “low-flow toilet.”

Put up a sign that highlights the number of gallons saved annually and how this affects the environment, such as fewer chemicals to treat the water and reduced depletion of the water source.

Your recreation center garden should have signage that identifies how the garden is helping pollinators — and maybe a message about how the reader can help pollinators, too. No permeable pavement, rain garden or bioswale should be installed without clear messaging about how and why green infrastructure is beneficial to the natural environment.

As you can imagine, there are endless opportunities to help children understand their interconnectedness with nature. Not only can this inspire admiration for the natural world, but it also highlights the benefits of responsibly caring for nature. You and everyone within your agency have an important role in helping make these connections. Your naturalists and nature centers are great, but they can’t and shouldn’t try to do it alone. Remember, Mother Nature doesn’t live at the nature center.

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

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HEALTH AND WELLNESS

Mind Over Disaster: Mentally Preparing for the Worst

By Sonia Myrick

W

hether natural or man-made, disasters cause many of us to feel increased levels of stress and anxiety, and for those already dealing with mental health issues, can prove to be even more challenging. Stockpiling supplies, such as water, food, batteries and other emergency items to meet physical needs, not only helps us to be prepared, but also gives us a sense of control and calmness in the event of a disaster — we at least have a plan.

However, disaster preparedness doesn’t stop at taking care of the physical needs. Protecting your mental well-being and that of your agency patrons is also a major factor in how you “weather the storm.” The American Public Health Association (APHA) says, “Strong emotional reactions to witnessing a disaster and facing its aftermath are perfectly normal. But like all preparedness activities, knowing what you’re in for can

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boost your resiliency and help you cope in healthy ways.”

Disasters come in all shapes and sizes, from hurricanes, wildfires, tornadoes and heat waves, to infectious diseases, mass shootings and acts of terrorism. The Ready campaign website, www.ready.gov, sponsored by the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) and the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), provides information about how to prepare for

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various disasters, and includes a section about coping with different disasters and the stress related to disasters.

Planning Is Key The more prepared you are, the more likely it is that when a disaster strikes you may be able to quickly regain your composure and think clearly about what your next steps should be.

The APHA recommends that the first thing to do when planning for disaster is to do the research. Determine, for example, what kinds of natural disasters can happen in your community, is there a chance residents will need to evacuate, and what might be required of municipal service providers? Also, should your agency be in a position to offer immediate shelter, is the shel-

ter safe, stocked with supplies and manned by professionals who know how to comfort residents who are seeking shelter and care? On its Get Ready webpage, www.getreadyforflu. org, the APHA provides a wealth of resources, including fact sheets covering a variety of disaster situations and expert advice to help get you and your agency started with planning.

Signs of Disaster-Related Stress According to Ready.gov, in disaster situations, “Children, senior citizens, people with access of functional needs and those for whom English is not their first language are especially at risk. Children may become afraid and some elderly people may seem disoriented at first.

People with access or functional needs may require additional assistance.”

Reactions to a disaster vary from person to person, with shock and disbelief, difficulty concentrating, trouble sleeping, changes in eating habits, changes in alcohol and tobacco use, dramatic mood swings, and feelings of anger, guilt and grief among some of the most common emotional responses (for a more complete list of signs, visit www.ready.gov/coping-with-disaster). Depending on age, a child’s emotional responses can range from irritability, excessive crying and wanting to held and cuddled more, to a preoccupation with the details of the event and dangerous, risk-taking behavior. The length of time these emotions last also varies from person to person and, according to the APHA, is often linked to the severity of the disaster and the magnitude of a community’s recovery.

Becoming familiar with signs of disaster-related stress will help park and recreation professionals react quickly and deftly when caring for and sheltering residents of all ages and abilities.

Coping Mechanisms Breathing, relaxation and meditation exercises, as well as cognitive restructuring — a useful technique for understanding and reframing the negative thinking that we all experience from time to time — can be helpful in the midst of a disaster and are easily adapted to almost any space. Ready. gov offers the following tips for dealing with disaster-related stress: • Talk with someone about your feelings — anger, sorrow and other emotions — even though it may be difficult.

• Seek help from professional counselors who deal with post-disaster stress.

Building your resilience is another great tool to help deal with stress-inducing situations, particularly when the changes you’ll be charged with comforting others is high. Contrary to popular belief, resilience is not an inherent trait. The American Psychological Association says, “It involves behaviors, thoughts and actions that can be learned and developed in anyone.” It goes on to say that a combination of factors contribute to resilience — the capacity to make realistic plans and take steps to carry them out and the capacity to manage strong feelings and impulses, to name

• Do not hold yourself responsible for the disastrous event or be frustrated because you feel you cannot help directly in the rescue work.

• Take steps to promote your own physical and emotional healing by healthy eating, rest, exercise, relaxation and meditation.

• Maintain a normal family and daily routine, limiting demanding responsibilities on yourself and your family.

• Spend time with family and friends.

• Participate in memorials.

• Use existing support groups of family, friends and religious institutions.

a few — but they are attributes people can develop in themselves (visit www.apa.org/helpcenter/road-resilience.aspx for a list of 10 ways to build resilience).

Being able to recognize the signs of disaster-related stress in yourself and your patrons, as well as having some mechanisms for working through those stresses, are important tools to include in your disaster-preparedness kit.

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

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SOCIAL EQUITY Racial Equity in Parks and Recreation

By Michelle Kellogg and Julie Nelson

E

quity and equality are sometimes used interchangeably, but actually convey very different ideas. Equity is about fairness while equality is about sameness. Racial equity means that race can no longer be used to predict life outcomes and life outcomes for all groups are improved.

Working for racial equity is to our collective benefit. When we think about racial disparities, we often think about how inequities affect communities of color. The goal is not to just eliminate the gap between white people and people of color, but to increase our collective success. For example, using plain language to convey our policies and procedures will make them easier for all community members. Improving outdated hiring practices will strengthen the hiring process for all employees. Creating inclusive and welcoming environments will ensure that all people will feel welcome.

Why Race?

While explicit acts of discrimination became illegal through the Civil Rights Act, government policies and practices included “race-neutral” approaches that perpetuated racial inequities, often without explicit intent. Across every indicator for success, from jobs to housing, education, criminal justice and health, we still see deep and pervasive racial inequities nationwide.

Focusing on racial equity seeks to address the institutional and structural racism that perpetuates these disparities. Institutional racism is when policies, procedures and practices work better for white people than for people of color, often unintentionally. Structural racism refers to the history and current reality of institutional racism across all institutions, combining to create a system that negatively impacts people of color.

Why Is This Important to Parks and Recreation Professionals?

Feedback gathered from Bossen Field neighborhood residents as part of a racial equity pilot project resulted in several It is anticipated that changes to this initial architectural rendering for the park, by 2042 people of which was done without any neighborhood input. One change color will become was the relocation of two softball fields (depicted here as the the majority popupie-shaped features) to move the noise and lights further away lation in the United from the apartment buildings on 28th Street.

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States. Children of color are on course to reach that milestone by 2023.

Parks and recreation services in this country offer a great opportunity to advance racial equity. To that end, park and recreation services need to be at the forefront of addressing the inequities in our society.

Racial Equity Tools Too often, policies and programs are developed and implemented without thoughtful consideration of racial equity. When racial equity is not explicitly brought into operations and decision-making, racial inequities are likely to be perpetuated. Racial equity tools are designed to integrate explicit consideration of racial equity in decisions, including policies, practices, programs and budgets, and to provide a structure for institutionalizing the consideration of racial equity.

A racial equity tool: • Proactively seeks to eliminate racial inequities and advance equity.

• Identifies clear goals, objectives and measurable outcomes.

• Engages community in decision-making processes.

• Identifies who will benefit or be burdened by a given decision, examines potential unintended consequences of a decision, and develops strategies to advance racial equity and mitigate unintended negative consequences.

• Develops mechanisms for successful implementation and evaluation of impact.

Use of a racial equity tool is an important step to operationalizing equity but is not sufficient by itself. In order to move forward, we must normalize

conversations about race, operationalize new behaviors and policies, and organize to achieve racial equity.

Bossen Field: A Racial Equity Pilot Project Bossen Field, which serves as a citywide athletic facility and neighborhood park on the south edge of Minneapolis, is a 37-acre park with 10 softball/baseball fields, one soccer/football field, a basketball court, two play areas, a wading pool, and parking lots.

In the past two decades, the neighborhood immediately surrounding Bossen has seen significant increase in racial and ethnic diversity with growing populations of Hispanic, African-American and new African immigrants. It also has higher numbers of children than much of Minneapolis. One side of the park is bordered by high-density apartment buildings with primarily Spanish-speaking residents.

As one of the only athletic field complexes in the city, the park is heavily used by adult athletic teams who travel from other parts of the city and nearby suburbs that may not share the demographics of the neighborhood.

In talking with neighborhood groups, Minneapolis Park and Recreation staff heard that many neighbors didn’t feel welcome in the park and felt that it is only available for use by athletic leagues. Local residents playing pickup soccer games reported the experience of being “kicked out” when softball players would arrive and explain that they had reserved the field.

In developing a master plan for the park, the Minneapolis Park and Recreation Board (MPRB) was faced with decisions about how to serve multiple constituencies with different, and sometimes conflicting, interests. Staff and leadership saw the opportunity to pilot the use of racial

equity tools in the development of this master plan. More importantly, they saw the missed opportunity to meet the needs of the community if equity was not considered.

The MPRB started by training the project team staff in racial equity concepts and the use of a racial equity toolkit in decision making. The staff team knew that inclusive community engagement would be critical to the success of this project, so staff utilized different outreach and engagement methods to reach different user groups. Online surveys and public meetings were mostly used by athletic league participants, while neighborhood residents were contacted through outreach events at area churches and schools, door-knocking with bilingual Spanish- or Somali-speaking staff, working closely with key neighborhood residents, and paper surveys in multiple languages.

Through this engagement, staff learned that there were areas of common interest between athletic leagues and neighborhood residents: the softball teams didn’t like kicking neighborhood kids off of the fields any more than the kids enjoy getting kicked off, and both groups wanted picnic facilities, more walking paths through the park, and improved parking facilities to minimize parking on neighborhood streets.

As a result, the master plan addressed parking, pathways and picnic areas and also placed open, flexible field space for soccer games in close proximity to the high-density housing.

This inclusive process demonstrated the power of integrating racial equity into an important process, resulting in a strengthened proposal that will better meet the needs of both the surrounding neighbors and region-wide users.

What Have We Learned?

Normalizing conversations

about

race is the only way to develop effective strategies for racial equity. One of the biggest challenges is the general discomfort many people experience in talking about race. This is a critical hurdle to get over. Avoiding conversations about race means there is a greater likelihood that organizations will not develop appropriate strategies to address institutional and structural racism.

Behavior drives attitude. Sometimes we think that attitude drives behavior — we want people to “understand” racism and expect that behavioral changes will follow. In reality, the opposite is true: changing behavior changes understanding. Giving employees a common understanding of racial equity terminology and tools to use to do their jobs differently leads to an increased understanding of institutional and structural racism.

Equity is a process. It takes continual learning and practice to embed racial equity into your organization. Equity cannot be relegated to a checkbox or an additional step to an existing process. Instead, it is a shift in the way our agencies do business.

You don’t need to reinvent the wheel.

Numerous organizations have already started this journey and have developed language, tools and resources.

One of the organizations leading this charge is the Government Alliance on Race and Equity (GARE), a national network of governments working to achieve racial equity. Check out GARE’s resources, including its Racial Equity Toolkit at http://racialequityalliance.org/2015/10/30/racial-equity-toolkit.

Michelle Kellogg is the Equity and Inclusion Project Manager for the Minneapolis Park and Recreation Board (mkellogg@ minneapolisparks.org). Julie Nelson is the Director of the Government Alliance on Race and Equity (nelson@thecsi.org).

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Big Threat

A

to Our Little Campers:

Protecting Children in Disasters

Sarah Thompson, MA

“I

have nothing left from my childhood but [my dad’s ashes] — and a lot of bad memories,” said Tineisha, 25. “Every day, even to this day, I’ll wake up like I want it to be August 28, 2005, and I’m waking up going to school and it’s all going to be one, big bad dream.

They say, time heals all wounds, but I don’t think that’s true in certain cases.”

On August 29, 2005, Hurricane Katrina devastated the Gulf Coast, leaving 1,833 dead, forcing more than 1 million people from their homes and causing more than 300,000 children to enroll in new schools around the country.

Katrina, like many disasters, had the most lasting and negative impact on children like Tineisha, who still, 10 years later, struggle with emotional and developmental consequences of the storm. Following Katrina, there were more than 5,000 reports of missing children, some separated from their families for weeks and even months. Children lost family, friends and their most precious possessions with limited understanding and skills to cope. Their homes, schools and child care facilities were destroyed and along with them, their routine.

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Susan Warner, Save the Children

PROTECTING CHILDREN

Four-year-old Didi plays with Save the Children staff member Sarah Thompson in the child-friendly shelter space set up at the Atlantic City Convention Center. The shelter had about 400 residents, 100 of them being children.

Children are the most vulnerable in disasters, as these traumatic events can steal the very essence of what it means to be a child — security, innocence and play.

On the Front Lines From afterschool camps to aquatic programs, park and recreation professionals are on the front lines of ensuring children’s safety every day.

They provide the structures and programs that help children thrive in familiar environments where they feel protected, and thus stand as a symbol of child safety within their communities. When a disaster strikes, this role is amplified. Park and recreation professionals often act as first responders — safeguarding those in their care, assessing the needs of local families and serving as a community stronghold. Facilities may function as a family reunification point or transform into shelters, housing those who have been displaced.

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community-wide response, providing space for the emergency operations center.

In theory, we know that disasters pose a threat to our communities.

We’ve seen it on television, we’ve received training during the onboarding process and we’ve conducted the occasional fire drill. But, there is a difference between knowing a threat and taking purposeful and meaningful action to ensure staff are equipped, families are educated and children will be safe. The truth is that disasters — natural, chemical or manmade — can strike anywhere at any time, sometimes with little or no warning. And when it does happen, will your agency be ready to protect children? Will staff know what to do when little eyes are looking to them for protection and comfort? Will you be ready to guide kids through the long-term recovery process, knowing that it’s these traumatic experiences that will frame their perception of the world going forward?

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Unique Needs of Children in Disasters Children are not just little adults.

They have unique needs that make them vulnerable during emergencies and that need to be deliberately addressed in emergency planning.

Reliance on Caregivers: Children can’t make emergency plans. They are physically and emotionally dependent on their caregivers, including coaches, teachers and leaders.

During a disaster, if staff members do not know the plan and their role within that plan, children are left scared and at higher risk of harm.

Communication and Identification: Infants, toddlers and children with disabilities may not be able to verbally identify themselves or family members. Older children may not know emergency contacts. These needs hinder quick family reunification following a disaster.

Mobility: Infants and toddlers are unable to walk and others may need to hold hands for balance, and move at a slow pace. Children with special needs or access and functional needs require extra help or special equipment for evacuation (e.g., wheelchairs, cribs, strollers, car seats).

Physical: Children’s bodies are smaller and less developed, putting them at greater risk of illness or harm during an emergency. For example, because children have thinner skin and take more breaths per minute than adults, they are more susceptible to harmful chemicals or smoke inhalation.

Nutritional: Children require more fluids per pound than adults, which should be accommodated by keeping plenty of fluids in disaster supplies. Children can be picky eaters, so storing healthy and nutritious child-friendly snacks such as granola bars or fruit snacks with disaster supply kits is advisable.

Leaving Children at Risk During the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina it became clear just how much children, who comprise 25 percent of the population, had been overlooked in federal, state and community emergency planning. In response, President George W. Bush and Congress created the National Commission on Children and Disasters, led by Save the

Children, an international NGO with more than 100 years of disaster response experience, to assess these gaps that leave children at risk. In 2010, the commission issued its final report with 81 recommendations to improve the capacity of the United States to protect children before, during and after disasters. This year, a decade after Hurricane Katrina, Save the Children assessed our nation’s progress along these recommendations that cover everything from increasing access to mental health services to improving shelter standards and school and child care operations plans. The 2015 National Disaster Report Card on Protecting Children in Disasters found that an alarming 79 percent of the commission’s recommendations remain unfulfilled.

Making Change for Children Park and recreation agencies are in the fabric of every U.S. community and have the resources and voice to be change agents for children in disasters. It’s a role that some communities have already embraced,

utilizing previous experiences, core capacities and creativity to fill gaps in protecting children.

Don’t Wait for a Shake-up Call, Manhattan Beach, California “When you aren’t prepared, when you don’t have the proper records, information and supplies ready to go, a small-scale emergency can turn into a catastrophe,” says Idris Al-Oboudi, recreation manager at Manhattan Beach Parks and Recreation in California. Learning from a devastating 1994 earthquake that destroyed one of their community centers, Al-Oboudi and Manhattan Beach used the devastating experience to improve plans and protocols.

“The earthquake was our shakeup call,’” adds Al-Oboudi. “It shook our confidence. You think you are prepared, but when it happens you’re faced with figuring out how you are going to continue to provide services that these families rely on. The emotional part is very important. We have to be in tune to children’s emotions when these things occur. Staff who can keep children constructively en-

Lee Celano

Emotional: Children of all ages are deeply affected by experiences of death, destruction, terror and the absence of their parents or guardians during a disaster. In fact, children who have been affected by large-scale disasters are five times as likely to suffer from serious emotional issues as those who have not experienced a major disaster. Adult leaders’ reactions and responses to the disaster can often add another layer of stress.

Children process these events with limited understanding and require specialized support to develop the knowledge and healthy coping skills needed to heal and recover.

Developmental: A disaster may disrupt the school year and participation in regular programs. Children may also fall behind when they struggle with long-term physiological or psychological issues following a disaster. These setbacks, without the appropriate intervention, can cause children to lag behind their peers educationally and developmentally, potentially changing the course or their lives and ability to thrive.

Routine and Comfort: Children depend on routine to help them make sense of their surroundings and feel comforted. Whether it is recreation time or story time, keeping schedules consistent following a disaster is crucial in helping children recover.

Children also tend to be comforted by items they can touch or hold such as blankets, stuffed animals or toys.

New Orleans kids enjoy a Katrina-anniversary “Prep Rally” at Treme Community Center.

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PROTECTING CHILDREN

gaged make all the difference. As caregivers, we need to be prepared to protect them. That is our responsibility.”

One of the ways Manhattan Beach is improving its disaster plan is by organizing large-scale special events that require the coordination of multiple sectors and all staff. For example, its “Camp Out” events invite families to a community-wide picnic. Just as in a disaster shelter scenario, 12,000 people enter the facility within an hour, requiring coordination, meal distribution, children’s activities and facilitation. It’s a creative approach to preparedness that helps staff learn their emergency roles while continuing to build trust among children and families.

“We learned from the earthquake that we were not ready. Families were not ready, the community was not ready,” Al-Oboudi says. “It’s very important to reflect on these things.

Sometimes, improving or practicing emergency plans sounds like a good idea, but then you procrastinate.

Then, by not taking action, you leave yourself and the children you serve vulnerable to harm that could have been prevented.”

Provide Purposeful Practice and Training, Howard County, Maryland “I’ve been through snowmageddon; Hurricanes Isabel, Sandy and Irene; and more,” says John Marshall, bureau chief of parks and recreation for Howard County, Maryland, who has more than 26 years of emergency leadership experience. “Preparation, training, mock and table-top exercises, as well as written plans, need to be tested, evaluated and re-written so that everyone understands their role and can respond quickly and efficiently to address the challenges at hand.

The more work you put in on the front end, the better your result will be.”

Howard County purposefully makes children part of emergency planning. In addition to having robust emergency training and certification requirements for all child-focused staff, the county partnered with Save the Children to bring together leaders from health, school, child care and emergency management sectors to train staff on how to protect children in disaster shelters and how to best facilitate their healthy recovery.

For Marshall, like so many, the impetus to act stems from personal ex-

Christine Prichard

Following a devastating 2011 tornado, a boy participates in a child-friendly space at Holy Spirit Catholic Church in Tuscaloosa, Alabama.

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perience. “My initial thought when 9/11 occurred was just like any parent, I dropped what I was doing at work and headed out to pick up my child from day care,” said he says.

“The next day, our department closed the parks thinking people would want to stay home with their families. What we learned was that what families really wanted was a sense of normalcy, and one of the best places to find that was in a park. Residents wanted to be able to take their children to the playground, where they could run around in an open field and just be able to be a child. That’s what was needed the most. As emergencies happen, we now try to open parks as soon as it is safe.”

Convene the Community, Moultonborough, New Hampshire “It’s important to get yourself a seat at the table with emergency management and contribute to the community plan,” says Donna Kuethe, director of recreation for the Town of Moultonborough. “As parks and recreation we have facilities, materials and staff with core competencies — child care, CPR, first aid — that no one else can provide.”

Kuethe, who helps lead Operation Recreation Response, a coalition created by the Foundation for Sustainable Park and Recreation, GP RED and Save the Children, recognizes the untapped potential that parks have in providing the essential services of disaster preparedness, response and recovery.

“We have a responsibility to improve and practice emergency plans to best protect children. And, we must communicate those plans to our families so they can actively engage in that plan, and encourage families to make emergency plans for themselves through education, training and programs,” she says. “That’s how we have to do it. It takes the co-

Supporting Children in Disasters Park and recreation programs are critical for helping children cope with crises. They provide children with a sense of stability, comfort and, most importantly, the opportunity to play and just be a kid again. Helping children cope and learn in the aftermath of a disaster requires creativity, flexibility and adaptability. Here is guidance from Save the Children on how you can help children express their feelings and adjust to their new surroundings following disaster Establish Safety and Control: Have a supervised, safe place within your facility or park site where children can receive support or sit quietly as needed. Increase children’s sense of control and mastery by letting them make choices that affect their day. For example, ask them for help in planning and choosing activities. Be available to talk one-on-one with children. Let them know you are there to listen.

Set Up Routine: Maintain program schedules and routines. Create opportunities for children to work and play together in groups or teams. Plan activities, rituals and celebrations for achievements, birthdays or holidays.

This will help provide normalcy while creating a positive environment.

Normalize and Validate: Reflect on what children say and validate their feelings and experiences. Let them know that it’s normal to be fearful or scared of disasters and it’s okay to feel angry afterward. Sometimes children can be giddy, callous or aggressive as a way of avoiding difficult emotions. Help them to be compassionate with each other and themselves.

Susan Warner, Save the Children

operation and communication of the whole community to keep kids safe.

Parks and recreation can and should be a leader for children’s safety in disasters, but we can’t go it alone.”

Save the Children staff member Jeanne-Aimee DeMarrais wraps a blanket around 4 -year-old Didi at the shelter in the Atlantic City Convention Center following Hurricane Sandy.

Move Toward Positive Action: Help children reframe anger or despair by focusing on positive things.

Encourage children to develop positive methods of coping with stress and fears. Begin by helping them to identify what they have done in the past that allowed them to cope when they were scared or upset. Encourage children to contribute to the recovery and rebuilding their community, and consider group volunteer projects.

Learn From the Disaster: Teach children about natural disasters (e.g., what causes a hurricane/tornado/ etc.; how experts track them) and basic emergency preparedness skills to help them gain mastery over the event. Incorporate disaster-related information into your programs, using information and lessons from a recent disaster in your instruction.

Encourage Creativity: Use creative arts to help children express their emotions (e.g., art, drama, music, photography, writing, etc.). This can be very helpful for children who

are not ready to talk about their emotions, or who culturally might not feel comfortable talking.

Commit to the Calling — Our Responsibility Parks and recreation are at the heart of each of our communities and on the front lines of children’s safety every day, but that’s not enough if they aren’t ready for the worst. Although gaps in state and federal emergency standards often overlook the unique needs of children, parks can fill that gap by improving plans, training staff and being a champion for children at the local level.

Al-Oboudi of Manhattan Beach perhaps summed it up best: “We can’t let Katrina happen twice. We need to take action to keep our communities safe and secure our future — our children.

This is not a story, this is a calling.”

Sarah Thompson, MA, is the Associate Director, Community Preparedness, for Save the Children (sthompson@savechildren.org).

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World-Class World-Class

From Devastation to

By Sarah McLaughlin

Ballet students defy gravity at New Orleans Recreation Development Commission’s Lyons Center. The program is one of many new offerings made possible in the wake of improvements to the city’s recreational landscape following the 2010 devastation of Hurricane Katrina.

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Recreation Recreation W

hen the federal levees in New Orleans failed in August 2005, approximately 80 percent of the city was flooded while the business district and main tourist centers were relatively undamaged. Many neighborhoods were inundated, left in ruin, making Hurricane Katrina the costliest natural disaster in U.S. history.

Now, with more than $1.63 billion invested in long-term neighborhood revitalization, there is construction in every neighborhood in New Orleans: From police and fire stations, hospitals and clinics, roads, schools, community centers and libraries to recreation

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W O R L D - C L A S S R E C R E AT I O N

centers, parks, playgrounds, pools and athletic stadiums. Ten years after Hurricane Katrina, the city is rapidly progressing and the New Orleans Recreation Development Commission (NORDC) is on its way to becoming a world-class recreation department.

Under Mayor Mitch Landrieu’s administration, more than $157 million has been committed to new and improved recreation facilities; the recreation department’s budget has tripled; programming for youth, teens and seniors has increased; and new policies and training have been adopted in an effort to create an organizational culture of excellence.

An Already Broken System The immediate aftermath of the Hurricane Katrina shed light on an already broken New Orleans Recreation Department (NORD) that had been experiencing a variety of issues, including high turnover among leadership, diminishing community relations and aging infrastructure long plagued by a dire lack of funding. In 2008, the city council hired a consulting firm to develop a report on best practices for parks and recreation. The findings of

the report called for the overhauling of the NORD and produced a series of recommendations by an appointed advisory board.

One of the many recommendations included a proposal to establish a 12-member commission, supported by a voter-approved property tax, that would start at a millage rate of 2.5 and eventually grow to 7.5. The advisory board also recognized the vastly different experiences at NORD sites across the city. There was tremendous inequity and disparity between playgrounds in certain neighborhoods, and Hurricane Katrina exasperated the inequalities.

By early 2010, the city’s immediate financial outlook was bleak — with less and less funding budgeted for NORD, the financial shortfall prevented the department from offering a wide variety of programming and a plan for rebuilding the department was not firmly in place.

A New Era Mayor Landrieu took office in May 2010 with a vision for creating lasting change and rebuilding the city better than ever before. Mayor Landrieu

Ten years after Hurricane Katrina, NORDC is now able to host fun fitness programs in neighborhood parks, like the Zumba class seen here.

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believed that all residents of New Orleans deserved a world-class recreational experience and the administration moved quickly to deliver on hopes and promises for a better recreation department.

Also in 2010, the New Orleans Recreation Development Foundation was established to stimulate public interest in and raise and distribute funds to benefit the creation, preservation and maintenance of recreational facilities and other leisure programs and activities in New Orleans, including supporting the efforts of and raising and distributing funds for NORDC. In 2011, the city council moved to change the charter, allowing for the creation of the NORDC. The primary goals of the public-private partnership include creating a sustainable, permanent governance structure; providing governance that includes key stakeholders from the private sector, schools and city government; and creating a structure to allow the recreation department to leverage city resources with private funds, grants and other funding opportunities.

Capital Improvements: Since 2010, NORDC has grown from four to 10 recreation centers and, each year, continues to be bigger and better with more facilities and improvements across the City of New Orleans. Many centers and playgrounds were demolished after Hurricane Katrina and are now replaced by brand new, state-ofthe-art facilities where children and families can play and grow. Amenities at the various recreation centers include indoor and outdoor swimming pools, indoor and outdoor basketball courts, football stadiums, baseball stadiums, tennis centers, track and fields, commercial kitchen and concessions, fitness rooms, dance rooms, game rooms, senior centers, health clinics, multipurpose classrooms, reading

rooms, music rooms and arts and crafts classroom Athletics: From basketball and football, to cheerleading, tennis and volleyball, NORDC offers 10 organized sports to youth and teens ages 5–14.

Aquatics: In 2010, NORDC operated eight outdoor pools and zero indoor pools. This past summer, NORDC operated 15 pools — 12 outdoor and three indoor — and the summer pool schedule was extended an extra three weeks.

NORDC’s SPLASH! Swimming and Safety Program provided summer camp youth with a course to help improve swimming skills, confidence and water safety awareness. In summer 2015, 3,930 youth completed the SPLASH! Swimming and Safety Program. Weekly topics included safely entering a pool, moving in the water and swimming strokes.

Summer Programming: When Mayor Landrieu took office in 2010, he recognized the need for creating more opportunities for youth and teens to learn and grow during the summer months. At that time, NORDC only offered 12 youth summer camps and programming for teenagers was nonexistent.

This past summer, NORDC hosted 39 youth camps (ages 4–12) that served more than 3,900 kids across the city through partnerships with schools, nonprofits and faith-based organizations. The camp programming offered an array of academic, cultural and recreational activities, including free field trips to the Audubon Zoo, the Aquarium of the Americas and NORDC pools for swimming lessons.

NORDC also hosted 10 teen camps (ages 13–17) that served almost 1,200 teens across the city. In partnership with JOB 1, the city’s office of workforce development, teen camps offered local teenagers career exploration seminars to

NORDC has radically expanded its summer programming, serving almost 4,000 children in 2015.

allow for exposure to a variety of fields. In addition, teens earned a $75-stipend per week.

In 2010, Share Our Strength, an organization started in 1984 by the brother and sister team of Bill and Debbie Shore — initially in response to the famine in Ethiopia, but which focuses today on making No Kid Hungry a reality in America — joined with Mayor Landrieu to launch the New Orleans “No Kid Hungry” campaign, a public-private partnership working to end childhood hunger. The campaign is working toward that goal by connecting kids to federal nutrition programs, including free school breakfast, free afterschool meals and free meals during the summer. This year, NORDC served more than 196,000 free nutritious breakfast and lunch meals to youth and teen camp participants.

Cultural and Special Programming: With music and dance as the fabric of the New Orleans culture, NORDC offers an array of dance, music and art classes to residents of all ages.

NORDC Teen Council: Launched in 2012 and funded by Chevron, the NORDC Teen Council empowers youth (ages 12–17) by developing a social growth environment through structured teen programs. These emerging leaders actively participate in

civic and community engagement by designing and implementing city-wide teen programming. At each monthly NORDC Commission meeting, a teen is selected to address the commission with a report on recent and current activities. The teens also speak personally about what the Teen Council means to them. As a group, the council plans and implements monthly community service activities, monthly meeting discussions, guest speakers and social engagement activities.

Senior Programming: In addition to the many activities available for all ages, NORDC offers fitness, dance, choral classes, and special events exclusively for seniors 55-plus years young.

While the damage and destruction of Hurricane Katrina left an unforgettable mark on the City of New Orleans, undoubtedly one of the great successes to emerge in the storm’s aftermath is NORDC. With new leadership and governance, as well as unprecedented funding, the department is now poised for continuous improvement that will lead to national accreditation and innovative programming for all residents.

Sarah McLaughlin is the Director of Communications for the City of New Orleans (snmclaughlin@nola.gov).

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NRPA Update National Recognition of NRPA’s Efforts to Save the Monarch

By Richard J. Dolesh

I

n recognition of our significant efforts to conserve and protect the monarch butterfly, NRPA has been accepted into the Monarch Joint Venture (MJV) partnership, a consortium of national organizations and federal agencies working to protect the monarch butterfly and restore monarch populations to their former numbers in the United States.

As part of the North American Monarch Conservation Plan, MJV works throughout the United States “to conserve and protect monarch populations and their migratory phenomena by implementing science-based habitat conservation and restoration measures in collaboration with multiple stakeholders.”

During the past two years, NRPA has shown leadership in the national effort to create and restore habitat for monarchs and to involve the public in

monarch c o n s e r va t i o n through the Parks for Monarchs campaign. Our goal is to engage every public park and recreation agency to collectively work to restore the monarch to former numbers and habitats.

Scientific studies have shown that monarch butterflies are in serious trouble. In the past 20 years, monarch populations in North America are esti50 Parks & Recreation

mated to have declined more than 90 percent, raising concerns that the entire transcontinental migration of this remarkable species may be threatened.

The key to the monarch’s continued health is the creation of quality habitats for migrating monarchs through the planting of milkweed plants that are essential to the monarch’s life cycle.

NRPA’s efforts to conduct training and provide education for park professionals; make resources available for agencies; enable the public to participate in research, habitat restoration and citizen science; and engage hundreds of park and recreation agencies in planting thousands of acres of milkweed and other nectar-bearing plants in suitable habitat, are all recognized

by NRPA’s invitation and acceptance in the MJV partnership.

For more information about NRPA’s acceptance to the MJV partnership and for more information about Parks for Monarchs, visit www. nrpa.org/parks4monarchs or www. monarchjointventure.org/newsevents/news/bringing-monarchconservation-to-parks-nationwide.

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

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The NRPA Board of Directors Is Now Accepting Applications

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he NRPA Board of Directors is seeking individuals who support the role of parks as they relate to building healthy and sustainable communities for all people. NRPA’s Three Pillars — Health and Wellness, Conservation and Social Equity — guide its work and create lasting impacts in the communities NRPA agencies serve. Whether you’re an innovative park and recreation professional, public health or elected official, business entrepreneur, park volunteer, fundraiser or a nonprofit leader who is interested in furthering the NRPA mission, consider joining the NRPA Board of Directors.

NRPA is committed to having a diverse board to ensure that its leadership reflects the communities it serves. This includes geography, age, ethnicity, gender, sexual orientation and abilities.

To apply, complete the application at www.nrpa. org/about-nrpa/leading-theassociation and return to NRPA Executive Assistant Michele White no later than January 31, 2016.

?

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Your agency is only as good as the staff who are supporting it. Make 2016 an extraordinary year for your ag ency by prepari ng your staff and filling your open positions with the most qualified profes sionals.

The NRPA Care er Center will h elp you reach thousands of q ualified candid ates and provide you wit h hiring resourc es without having to brea k the bank!

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800.626.6772 | custom erservice@nrpa.org

NRPA Update

Give the Gift of Data This December

By Kevin Roth, Ph.D.

A

s we wrap 2015 and look toward the holiday season, may I suggest a gift idea that would help not only your agency, but would also be a valuable contribution to park and recreation professionals throughout the United States? What if I told you this gift idea would not involve you or your agency giving any money but instead would cost, in most circumstances, just 15 to 30 minutes of your time?

Well, that is how long it will take for you to enter or update the Agency Summary information for your agency in PRORAGIS. As you know, PRORAGIS is NRPA’s benchmarking tool that collects and analyzes park and recreation agency data from across the country. As the largest repository of park and recreation operating data in existence, this tool provides you with powerful information to gauge your agency’s performance against that of its peers.

But PRORAGIS can only be as valuable as the data entered into it

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and is enhanced even further when that data is updated on an annual basis. Perhaps your agency has not had the opportunity to take advantage of the power of PRORAGIS. Or, perhaps you represent one of the more than 1,000 agencies that have entered data into PRORAGIS since the system’s launch.

Whatever the case, make December the month that you enter or update the Agency Summary information in PRORAGIS. Why? Because each spring, NRPA publishes its Field Report. This comprehensive collection of detailed data on local and regional park systems in the United States provides an informative look at the significant trends currently affecting park and recreation departments.

The Field Report answers your agency’s many questions and does it best with a robust set of data.

The good news is that you can ensure the 2016 Field Report is the best ever by contributing 15 to 30 minutes of time this month to enter your agency’s 2015 data.

So, what is the information that we need from you? The easy-toanswer questions in the Agency Summary focus on high-level budget information (i.e., size of your agency’s operating and capital budget, sources of revenue, etc.), demographics of residents your agency serves, personnel and vol-

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unteer counts, counts of park facilities and agency responsibilities.

And as a thank you for giving your time to enter or update your agency’s 2015 PRORAGIS data, you will receive a customized Agency Performance Report that compares your agency’s performance to the Community Park and Recreation Standards. This report will help you make better-informed decisions to make your agency more effective and efficient.

Entering your agency’s information is a gift to the park and recreation community as a whole. Data in PRORAGIS and published in the Field Report help park and recreation professionals throughout the United States analyze their agency’s performance and answer questions like: • Is my agency adequately funded?

• Does my agency have enough parkland?

• Does my agency have enough staff ?

• What percentage of my peer agencies’ revenues are derived from generated revenue and fees?

So, give the gift of time this December by entering or updating the Agency Summary data for 2015 in PRORAGIS. And let us be of assistance to you in the process. Should you have questions or concerns about entering your PRORAGIS data, please contact Greg Manns (gmanns@industryinsights.com), NRPA Research Specialist Melissa May (mmay@NRPA. org) or me at the address listed below.

We look forward to hearing from you.

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

Take Advantage of Your Premier Certification Package

D

id you know that with your Premier Membership your entire team can take advantage of NRPA member benefits, including research, advocacy, networking and professional development, at a discounted rate via the Premier Certification Package?

You are investing in your employees when you become a Premier Member. One of the many great benefits to which your agency will have access is the Premier Certification Package. This provides the opportunity to earn Certified Park and Recreation Professional (CPRP) and/ or Certified Park and Recreation Executive (CPRE) credentials at the best group-rate pricing. By taking advantage of this great deal, you are demonstrating that you value your employees and your agency’s overall success. The more candidates your agency puts forward for certification, the larger the reduction in cost. Study materials, including the CPRP Study Guide, CPRP Practice Exam and Management of Park and

Recreation Agencies Text, are also offered at a discounted rate.

Not a Premier Member? Visit www.nrpa.org/premier to sign up today. Already a Premier Member and ready to take advantage of the certification discount? Complete the Premier Agency Application and submit via email to certification@nrpa.org or fax to 703.858.0794. The full application can be found at www.nrpa. org/Professional-Development/Certification/CPRP/Premier-Certification-Package under the “application” link. For questions about membership, contact 800.626.NRPA or email customerservice@nrpa.org.

— Hayley MacDonell, NRPA’s Membership Programs Manager

Test Your Park and Recreation Knowledge The following question is a sample Certified Park and Recreation Professional (CPRP) examination question.

Which of the following is an example of the administrative role of the performance appraisal?

A. Communicating feedback to the employee B. Identifying the organization’s training needs C. Identifying weaknesses to determine coaching needs D. Measuring performance for the purpose of making pay decisions Calling all beginning to mid-level professionals! The Certified Park and Recreation Professional (CPRP) is the national standard for all park and recreation professionals who want to be at the forefront of their profession.

For more information on the CPRP certification program, please visit www.nrpa.org/cprp.

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NRPA Update

Member Spotlight: Teresa Kuchinsky-Trejo, CPRP

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umbly, when approached to be the subject of this month’s Member Spotlight, Teresa Kuchinsky-Trejo, CPRP, told Parks & Recreation, “I do not know if I am worthy of a spotlight — I am a recreation supervisor who has been in and out of the business since 1984…” This sort of careful self-deprecation is common among park and recreation professionals, who, day in, day out, go about the business of supporting their communities and providing essential services for their well-being.

This, however, is some of the most important work taking place in any locale, and it’s clear, despite her humility, that Kuchinsky-Trejo’s commitment to the San Francisco Recreation and Parks Department has paid dividends for the patrons and professionals with whom she works.

Parks & Recreation magazine: First, give us a bit of background.

Teresa Kuchinsky-Trejo: I live in Tracy, California, but work in San Francisco, about 67 miles west… don’t ask me about the commute. I received a bachelor’s degree in kinesiology from the University of San Francisco and attended graduate school at Cal State Hayward (East Bay) taking classes in kinesiology, corporate recreation, and public and school administration.

I started in recreation, like a lot of us, in aquatics — lifeguarding, swimming lessons and competitive swim.

While attending graduate classes, I worked for HARD (Hayward Area Recreational District) as a swim teacher and a lifeguard, and at Cal State Hayward, as an assistant swim coach, I was involved in catering, special events and fitness instruction, but I honestly didn’t realize I worked in the “recreation” field. While in San Francisco, some area natives told me about a recreation director’s test.

I took it and passed! I feel like I only knew about sports and aquatics, not art, dance, drama, tot or senior programming…You could say I fell into the field — who knew there was a job where you got paid to play? I love it.

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P&R: What’s one of your favorite aspects of your agency?

Kuchinsky-Trejo: Only one?! I love San Francisco Rec and Park — the department has embraced the changes in the population of the city. It provides opportunities for all ages that inspire, connects them with others and allows them to play.

I love that you can find these programs throughout the entire city and that we focus on all ages from 1 to 100-plus.

P&R: What are some of your job’s greatest challenges?

Kuchinsky-Trejo: A great challenge is retaining and finding staff. Because of changing programming needs and economic challenges, there isn’t a lot of full-time work. We have people working [for our agency] who have diverse backgrounds and all ages and experiences — many teachers, musicians and artists who are searching for full-time employment, and if they find it they are gone. I also find it challenging that people don’t realize that the recreation field covers so many areas, from government to programming and events, that they can make a career out of it.

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P&R: What have been some of your greatest successes?

Kuchinsky-Trejo: It may sound silly, but retaining my staff, and also giving them opportunities to learn and obtain experience in many areas. I am proud of the staff who have worked with me, or students I have mentored who have found employment with other recreation departments, the YMCA, Boys and Girls Clubs, and especially teaching.

I love when the staff gets my vision, then turns it into theirs, and I “get” it. I love to see them playing and laughing with the kids and giving the kids adventures and opportunities to try something new. This is especially apparent when we run our summer Tot Camps, when staff has more time with the kids.

P&R: What advice would you give to someone just starting out in the park and recreation field?

Kuchinsky-Trejo: Try everything.

You may discover an area you didn’t know you were interested in. Take some child development classes — it’ll teach you how to work with others and look at your programming and participants with better understanding. Do something uncomfortable — it allows you to grow. Be a jack of all trades — recreation is all about adapting and having the ability to adjust or fill in anywhere at any time. Work/intern/volunteer in more than one town or city, or try other divisions of recreation. Join NRPA and get your CPRP. Love what you do — get paid to play!

— Samantha Bartram, Executive Editor of Parks & Recreation magazine

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.

CHECK THIS OUT

SCHOOLS AND CONFERENCES NRPA Conferences and Schools are forums where the park and recreation community comes together to exchange ideas and information. Register now for these upcoming events. All NRPA Schools are held at Oglebay Resort in Wheeling, West Virginia, unless otherwise indicated.

Tis the season! This year, give the gift of knowledge and consider responding to our AFO and CPSI instructor recruitment campaign. Becoming an instructor is a great way to share your expertise and give back to the field. We are currently looking for experienced, knowledgeable and personable applicants. Apply now at www.nrpa.org/afo or www.nrpa.org/cpsi.

January 17-22, 2016

January 31- February 5, 2016

March 13-18, 2016

August 28-September 4, 2016

October 5-8, 2016 - St. Louis, MO

November 6-10, 2016

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Operations Seven Tips to Take the Sting Out of Severe Weather

By James Careless

B

lizzards, heat waves and hurricanes are but a few of the many severe weather events with which park and recreation departments cope on a regular basis. This is why disaster planning is a top priority for agencies in cities like Chicago, New Orleans, New York City, the Parish of East Baton Rouge and Seattle.

Parks & Recreation magazine plumbed these agencies’ vast knowledge of and experience with severe weather to compile the following seven tips for when disaster strikes.

Tip 1: Plan for a Range of Scenarios

Malcolm Pinckney/NYC Parks

Severe weather comes in all forms and requires cross-departmental responses. That’s why the New York City Department of Parks and Recreation (NYC Parks) belongs to “a dozen different plans” in cooperation with other city departments, says Michael Dockett, the New York Assistant Commissioner for Urban Park Service. For instance, there’s a Coast-

al Storm plan: “When Hurricane Sandy came through, that plan was enacted,” he said. Each of these severe weather plans compiles the likely damage and risks associated with each specific weather threat and how best to deal with it.

Tip 2: Stockpile Supplies

Well in Advance To cope with severe weather, park and recreation departments need everything from emergency food supplies and shelter for staff to sandbags, generators, chainsaws, drywall, 2-by-4s and plastic sheeting to patch roofs and walls. Whatever supplies

NYC Parks staff and municipal workers clear debris after a severe storm caused extensive neighborhood damage.

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their disaster plans require, the key is to have everything procured and stored across various locations well in advance. This includes portable two-way radios integrated with the city’s own network, because cellular networks tend to overload or fail during natural disasters.

Seattle’s Parks and Recreation Department helps neighborhoods set up their own emergency response groups equipped with kits of emergency supplies and their own two-way radios.

“We let volunteer groups store boxes of radios in our recreation facilities, and use these buildings as communication hubs when emergencies occur,” says Patti Petesch, Seattle Parks and Recreation’s emergency management manager.

Tip 3: Use a Scheduled Approach

to Plan Implementation Having endured more than its fair share of severe weather, the City of New Orleans Recreation Development Commission (NORDC) takes emergency preparedness very seriously. Mindful that it takes time to put an emergency plan into action, NORDC has structured its tactics based on the clock — namely, tasks that need to be done 72, 48 and 24 hours before severe weather arrives. This approach balances preparing for the storm with directing deployment decisions. “By the 48-hour window, we usually have a pretty good idea of what kind of event we are looking at,” says Mary-jo Webster, COO at NORDC.

Tip 4: Designate Staff Tasks The middle of a hurricane is no time to figure out who should be doing what. Positions and responsibilities should be assigned and trained for long before the clouds start to gather.

(Training should be repeated on a regular basis, to keep staff sharp.) Also, management should decide which staff will be sent home during severe weather events, who will be recalled and on what schedule after the storm passes, and should ensure that full contact information is available for employees and their families.

It is vital to allow department staff members enough time to prepare their families, food supplies and homes for what’s coming, bearing in mind that some staff will be working right up to the storm and into it. Meanwhile, ensuring staff safety must be paramount throughout the planning process and maintained as a guiding principle when severe weather arrives.

Tip 5: Plan Ahead to Make

Post-Storm Cleanup Easier The Recreation and Park Commission for the Parish of East Baton Rouge (BREC) is an independent state-created body that manages public park and recreational properties in Louisiana’s East Baton Rouge Parish. BREC has its hands full preparing for severe weather and mitigating its effects. “With more than 180 facilities, getting everything checked after a storm can be challenging,” says BREC Superintendent CEO Carolyn McKnight. To make reporting easier, BREC has a post-storm-event spreadsheet that gives specific park inspection assignments “to each one of our maintenance shops and other departments,” she adds. “This list is based on several factors, including locations of shops and even the proxim

ity of employees’ homes in relation to our parks.”

BREC also maintains a “Hurricane Supply Room” with items such as “chainsaws, generators, dehumidifiers and safety supplies to help aid in post-storm management,” McKnight says. “These items are only used in emergency situations and are immediately returned so they don’t get lost in time of need.”

Tip 6: Fill up Fuel Tanks It may seem like a no-brainer, but park and recreation departments need to ensure that all of their vehicles, generators and propane heaters are topped off with fuel before severe weather hits — and that they have access to extra fuel should these supplies run out. In the Parish of East Baton Rouge, “we have on-site fuel storage tanks at several of our shops to be able to keep fuel in stock until deliveries can begin again,” says McKnight.

Tip 7: Keep Watching the Skies Severe weather emergencies don’t always provide adequate lead time, as was the case in Chicago during the summers of 2012 and 2015. “On August 4, 2012, the city’s Office of Emergency Management and Communications and the Chicago Park District were forced to evacuate thousands of concert goers from the grounds of Grant Park during the Lollapalooza Festival due to approaching storm warnings from the National Weather Service,” says Patrick Levar, Chicago Park District’s COO. “Three years later on August 2, 2015, a severe thunderstorm warning led to another evacuation.” Fortunately, pre-planning paid off: “In each instance, fans were directed to three nearby designated emergency shelters,” he says.

This is the final lesson for severe weather planning: Life-threatening storms can hit without warning in a

A $16 Million Hail Storm in the Windy City The glass-covered Garfield Park Conservatory is one of Chicago Park District’s (CPD) crown jewels. Unfortunately, a severe hailstorm on June 30, 2011, sent marble-sized hail smashing through public display spaces and propagation facilities. “In total, approximately 60 percent of the conservatory glass roofs were shattered by hail,” says CPD COO Patrick Levar. “In addition, limited panes of laminated glass were broken throughout other rooms.”

Immediately following the storm, CPD initiated cleanup efforts and installed temporary winter protection to protect plants and people. After that, the agency began a “phased hail damage recovery” program at the Garfield Park Conservatory “to assure the viability of this facility for years to come,” says Levar. Beyond installing 1/4-inchthick laminated glass to replace almost 52,000 glass roof panes, CPD reconditioned and strengthened the various room’s concrete and streel structures, removed and repaired cypress wood beams in the roof framing, and inspected the roof drainage and gutter system for problems. The full repairs were completed in time for the official reopening on April 22, 2015, which happened to be Earth Day.

matter of minutes. Only by keeping an eye on the skies — and listening to the latest weather reports — can park and recreation agencies stay ahead of severe weather.

James Careless is a freelance writer with TJT Design & Communication Inc. (james. careless@gmail.com).

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Products Playground Swing Miracle Recreation’s new Generation Swing allows parents, grandparents and older children to swing face-to-face with a toddler to join in on the fun! The only thing that tops an exhilarating wind-inyour-hair swing ride is sharing the experience with a child. Easy to install and low maintenance, the Generation Swing will be the talk of the playground and the dinner table. MIRACLE RECREATION, 888.458.2752, WWW.MIRACLE-RECREATION.COM

Earth Drill Little Beaver’s Hydraulic Earth Drills are efficient and dependable solutions for multiple digging and drilling applications, including fence and sign installation, landscaping and soil sampling. They are also designed for easy transport and maneuverability. Little Beaver’s hydraulic drills feature 11-horsepower Honda overhead valve gasoline engines. The HYD-PS11H drills have a five-gallon reservoir capacity and are mounted on a maneuverable three-wheel chassis. The drill’s relatively small size provides access to areas skid steer-mounted augers can’t reach, and convenient front and rear handles make loading and unloading fast and easy. LITTLE BEAVER, 800.227.7515, WWW.LITTLEBEAVER.COM

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Trash Cans The Victor Stanley Sage side-door litter receptacle (patent pending) joins contemporary and functional design with enduring strength. Sage was engineered to withstand the flexing and distortion inherent in perforated sheet metal, while keeping the design serviceable, long lasting and attractive. It features two side-deposits, a full interior steel frame, strong exterior panels formed from 11-gauge steel nested in solid-steel frames and our signature friction-eliminating hinges. VICTOR STANLEY, 800.368.2573, WWW.VICTORSTANLEY.COM

Drone Zone Drones are proving to be popular new products, with more than one million already purchased. Operators will be looking for areas to fly drones and enjoy their new hobby — perhaps in their local park. The Academy of Model Aeronautics (AMA) can help agencies create an AMA Drone Zone in available parkland where everyone can enjoy safe and responsible flying, and even start a drone-flying club. THE ACADEMY OF MODEL AERONAUTICS, 800.435.9262, WWW.MODELAIRCRAFT.ORG

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reader service

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

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Name________________________________________________________________ Phone__________________________ Address______________________________________________________________________________________________ City_________________________________________________State________________ZIP_________________________ What steps does your agency take to prepare for potential disasters? ____________________________________________________________________________________________________ Please email your answers to dstorm@nrpa.org.

Check the product(s)/company(ies) that you would like information from: ATHLETIC/EXERCISE EQUIPMENT Go Ape.......................................61 415.553.0769 www.goape.com Greenfields Outdoor Fitness.....3 888.315.9037 www.greenfieldsfitness.com Jr. NBA.........................................5 www.jrnba.com NFL Foundation........................C2 www.nflfoundation.org/ applications/programs/view/NRPA BUILDINGS/TENTS/SHELTERS Easi-Set Buildings.....................60 866.252.8210 www.easisetbuildings.com Shade Systems Inc......................1 800.609.6066 www.shadesystemsinc.com/sails GROUNDS MAINTENANCE

MAINTENANCE PRODUCTS /SERVICES Stop & Go International Inc.......7 815.455.9080 www.stopngo.com Tree Stabilizer...........................61 800.691.1148 www.treestabilizer.com PARK PRODUCTS/SERVICES Dogipot.....................................16 800.364.7681 www.dogipot.com Livin The Dog Life™..................61 800.931.1562 www.livinthedoglife.com Lockers.com................................7 800.562.5377 www.lockers.com

Bishop Enterprises Inc..............60 615.233.5173 www.turf-aire.com

Most Dependable Fountains...13 800.552.6331 www.mostdependable.com

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PLAYGROUND EQUIPMENT Landscape Structures®.............C3 888.438.6574 www.playlsi.com Playcore.....................................C4 877.762.7563 www.playcore.com Playworld Systems Inc.............11 800.233.8404 www.playworldsystems.com SIGNS/SCOREBOARDS Berntsen ...................................60 877.686.8565 www.berntsen.com Scoremaster..............................61 888.726.7627 www.scoremaster.com SURFACING SofSURFACES..............................9 800.263.2363 www.sofsurfaces.com

Mail the completed form to Dana Storm at NRPA, 22377 Belmont Ridge Road, Ashburn, VA 20148-4501 or email to dstorm@nrpa.org.

(ISSN 0031-2215) is published monthly by the National Recreation and Park Association, 22377 Belmont Ridge Rd., Ashburn, VA 20148, a service organization supported by membership dues and voluntary contributions. Copyright ©2015 by the National Recreation and Park Association. Reproduction in whole or in part without permission is prohibited. Opinions expressed in signed articles are those of the writers and not necessarily those of NRPA. Issued to members at the annual subscription price of $30, included in dues. Subscription: $36 a year in the U.S.; $46 elsewhere. Single copy price: $4.50. Library rate: $48 a year in the U.S.; $58 elsewhere. Periodical postage paid at Ashburn, Virginia, and at additional mailing offices. Editorial and advertising offices at 22377 Belmont Ridge Rd., Ashburn, VA 20148. 703.858.0784. Postmaster, send address changes to Parks & Recreation, 22377 Belmont Ridge Rd., Ashburn, VA 20148.

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A Ribbon Runs Through It When a Zamboni has its own Twitter handle (@MDPZamboni), you know you’ve got a popular ice destination. That’s the case just one year after a novel ice-skating experience debuted in downtown Chicago. A quarter-mile long refrigerated “ice ribbon” — the longest in the United States — is a signature element of the Windy City’s new 20-acre Maggie Daley Park. Designed by ice consultant Stantec, the meandering 2040-foot wide skating trail provides 27,500 square feet of ice surface — almost twice the size of a traditional rink. Unlike the common oval rink, the ice ribbon winds through the undulating park landscape with mild grades, providing an added dimension to the skating experience.

The ice ribbon can hold up to 700 skaters at a time and is modeled after the lazy river concept. The Chicago ice ribbon geometry draws inspiration from the gracefully winding Frank Gehry BP Pedestrian Bridge that connects Maggie Daley Park to Millennium Park. “The ice ribbon at Maggie Daley Park provides an ice-skating experience unlike any other,” says Jessica Maxey-Faulkner, communications director for Chicago Park District. “The skating ribbon is dramatically different from typical civic ice rinks, creating a multisensory activity that is integrated into the landscape. In the heart of downtown Chicago and with the city’s skyline as a backdrop, this ribbon of ice winds through a rolling landscape where skaters can experience ‘alpine in the city’ as they lace up their ice skates and follow a path twice the length of a lap around a traditional skating rink.”

The ice ribbon has been enjoyed and praised by locals and tourists alike. It has received recognition from national news outlets like the Houston Chronicle, The Washington Post and the Los Angeles Times. “This trail offers a great skating experience that keeps people coming to the park year-round,” observes Jim Maland, Stantec’s chief recreational facilities designer. Maxey-Faulkner adds: “The ice ribbon is intended to engage and inspire visitors of the park. We want to be able to create fun and excitement in the community, encouraging people to go out more and appreciate nature.”

— Marti Mueller, Public Relations Lead, Mid-Atlantic/Midwest, for Stantec

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