A publication of West Virginia Recreation and Parks Association
Winter 2018
Gateway Children’s Garden Page 5
Parks and Partnerships: Bringing Art, Nature and Recreation Together Page 8
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West Virginia Recreation and Parks Association Volume 10 • Issue 1 164 West Main Street Bridgeport, WV 26330 www.wvrpa.org WVRPA Is: Actively concerned with recreation, parks, therapeutic recreation, conservation and environmental education, programs and issues. A blend of professional volunteers, lay citizens, educators and students who are aware of the mental, physical, social and economic values of parks and recreation. A nonprofit, educational leisure service organization.
Contents President’s Message .......................................................................... 4 WVRPA Golf Tournament Results....................................................... 4 Gateway Children’s Garden................................................................ 5 After 30-Plus Years, Don Burton to Step Down From Post................. 6 Santa Comes to the GHPRD............................................................... 7 Parks and Partnerships....................................................................... 8 MCPARC Wave Pool Upgrades.......................................................... 9 Getting Active With CWV.................................................................. 10
Printed February 2018
The Review is published by Innovative Publishing. Innovative Publishing specializes in publications for associations and businesses. To find out how your organization can have its own magazine, contact Aran Jackson at aran@innovativepublishing.com or 844.423.7272.
Transforming Fayette County Park.................................................... 12
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President’s Message Growing Our Knowledge and Our Numbers Thank you to outgoing president Joe Shuttleworth for his years of service Tony Michalski to WVRPA. I am privileged to serve as the association president for the next two years. The knowledge, contacts and camaraderie that I have experienced throughout my 18 years as a member of the association have been extremely valuable and rewarding. I always enjoy hearing the details of all the wonderful facilities and programs from across the state and hope that every member utilizes the association to bring new ideas and programming back to their communities. One of my goals for the association as president is expanding membership. To bring in new members and get them excited about our association, we need to continue to offer and improve upon valuable learning experiences while expanding our networking with professionals, vendors and the public. We also need to remain aware of and act on, if necessary, any local, state or national legislation that could affect our organizations.
I encourage all members to become more active and the association to offer even more to attract new members. The site visitations have proven to be very helpful to both the home agency and to visiting members. Any group that would like to plan an association site visit should contact the board so that we can schedule visitation. Many of us have some very exciting and innovative additions coming to our park systems. Utilize WVRPA to help promote your events or facilities statewide, and allow our members to learn from your challenges and successes. Let us continue to share our knowledge and grow together as an organization, open our conference to any new, exciting ideas or locations, and think of new ways we could network and communicate to improve together as an association. I look forward to my term as president and hope that we can continue to have a productive, informative and relevant association. Tony Michalski MCPARC Director/WVRPA Board President
WVRPA Golf Tournament Results The annual WVRPA Golf Tournament was held at the Canaan Valley Resort State Park on October 17, 2017. Eighteen exhibitors and park professionals enjoyed the beautiful day and competed for the coveted championship after a luncheon sponsored by our friends at TERRADON Corporation. The team of Mitch Reno of Cunningham & Associates, Rick Catalogna of Walker Supply Inc., John Cooper of City Parks of Clarksburg and Joe Shuttleworth of Bridgeport Parks and Recreation captured the championship with an impressive 7-under par 67.
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Second place in the event were: Brad Ford, keynote speaker; the Rev. Dr. Ken Ramsey; and Bruce Miller, WVRPA executive director.
Distributors, Inc., Rick Catalogna of Walker Supply Inc. made the longest putt, and John Davis of Davis Athletics had the longest drive.
The third-place team consisted of Craig White of Grand Vue Park, Larry See of Jefferson County Parks and John Davis of Davis Athletics.
Thanks go out to all the tournament participants, with special thanks to TERRADON Corporation for sponsoring the lunch, and special thanks to Taylor Sports & Recreation, Davis Athletics and Beverage Distributors, Inc. for prize donations.
Rick DeGroff of United Laboratories Inc. won the closest to the pin contest and the golf bag donated by Beverage
Gateway Children’s Garden
by Martinsburg-Berkeley County Parks and Recreation
Berkeley County, West Virginia, has its first Children’s Garden, which opened in the summer of 2016. This unique facility is nestled within Ambrose Park in Martinsburg, West Virginia, and serves as an outdoor learning center for children ages 2 to 11. The garden provides an outdoor, handson setting where children can be active while they explore, observe and experiment. It features a Hobbit House, LookOut Tower, ABC Garden and Reading Nook, Tiny Tots Exploration Area, Water Zone, Covered Pavilion, Butterfly Garden, Dinosaur Dig, and Bird and Nest Niche. The Garden would not exist today without the vision of local resident and retired
schoolteacher Sue Ann Palmer and the Gateway Garden Club. This facility was made possible with numerous donors, including private family sponsorships, contributions from the Eastern West Virginia Community Foundation, business sponsors, grants and volunteers. In 2017, between open-hours visitors, local school field trips, reservations, parties, mini-camps and special activities, the Children’s Garden had over 1,000 children come visit. We hope to continue to grow and share this wonderful outdoor exploration facility with our community.
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After 30-Plus Years, Bridgeport Parks and Recreation Head Don Burton to Step Down From Post in March by Jeff Toquinto on January 6, 2018
When it comes to Bridgeport Parks and Recreation, most in the community associate it with the name of Don Burton. And while that will likely continue into the future, his role as director will soon be coming to an end. Burton recently informed the city administration that he will be retiring. Burton, who has been with Parks and Recreation as the director for 30 years, will spend his last day on the job on March 22. “It wasn’t an easy decision for me, particularly after spending my last 30 years here and having nearly 40 years in the field. Part of me would like to stay around and be on board when the city finishes off the (indoor) recreation complex,” said Burton. “I guess it just boils down to that it’s time. It just feels right.” The departure will be the second in less than a year of a Bridgeport Department head with decades of experience. Bridgeport Community Development Director Randy Spellman was the most recent to step down, as his last official day in his long-time capacity was December 27. Bridgeport City Manager Kim Haws, who lauded Spellman for his time with the city, had equally kind words for Burton. He said what he brings to the city is almost irreplaceable. “Don has a tremendous way with people and you can see that with the relationships he’s developed with community groups, sports groups, all the others that do community events at a Parks facility,” said Haws. “The one thing that lets anyone that’s been around the city know that he’s successful with Parks and Recreation beyond how he handles people is the way you can see the community have such strong trust in the Parks program as a whole. 6
“I’ve really come to respect Don and lean on Don for his knowledge of Parks and Recreation during my time here,” Haws continued. “What really puts him over the top in what he does is he clearly has a deep love for this community.” Burton isn’t from Bridgeport originally. In fact, he got his feet wet in the parks and recreation business in the southern part of the state before coming to Bridgeport to assume duties in September 1987. Burton was working in St. Albans, the city of Charleston, the town of Belle, and the Kanawha County Parks and Recreation. Burton was working in St. Albans at the time the Bridgeport job came open. It sadly came open, Burton said, when his friend and former Bridgeport Parks and Recreation Director Rick Sebastian passed away. “We worked together at times in Kanawha County through our state association, and I knew about Bridgeport through our discussions,” said Burton. When Burton saw the job posted for the director’s position, he applied. He was interviewed by a bevy of elected Bridgeport officials, including Bud Hess, Nancy Chandler and Jim Taylor. Apparently, they liked what they heard from Burton, as he’s been a fixture ever since. Even had Burton been satisfied with leaving things as is, Bridgeport would have changed around him. However, Burton helped lead Bridgeport Parks and Recreation into major changes during his three decades. “It’s night and day from when we started. You hate to say we had a shoestring
budget, but the budget was small and tight so we tried to be progressive,” said Burton. “It was easy to do that because city leaders were progressive as well and encouraged that.” Burton said there are many projects the city has taken during his time that are “under the radar,” but there are plenty that aren’t. He said the first major project came when working with Mayor Carl Furbee and led to one that is perhaps the most used recreation facility in Bridgeport. “We worked on City Park, which was our first big one, and we followed that with a lot more,” said Burton. “We did the Briarwood Park on property donated by Woody (Thrasher), the Sprayground, the basketball courts by the Bowstring Bridge, the Recreation Complex and more. Our programs have continually expanded.” Burton said the diversity of programs is something he’s proud of, including some that have been around for nearly as long or longer than he’s been with the city. He said the use of the Civic Center for many events has helped develop a trust between his department and the community, while being able to develop new programs, such as wrestling and basketball and community events, like Hay Bales and Tall Tales, and working with major programs such as Light Up Night. “Parks and Recreation has always been at the forefront of the community and its residents. We’ve always, with the staff that I’ve had, been forward thinking and tried to stay ahead of the curve,” said Burton. “That thinking is still in place and why you see the Indoor Recreation Complex
taking shape. I’m happy to have been on the ground floor of that, but I won’t be there when it’s finished.” Burton will be able to do more things with his family. He said he plans to spend more time with his wife and long-time educator Kym Burton, as well as his adult children Grant and Sarah Burton and J.J. Starkey. However, he’s staying put in Bridgeport. “Bridgeport has always been a big part of my life, and it’s a place I will always call home. My father was in the service, so I never really had a place to call home,” said Burton. “To be able to raise my family in such a wonderful community makes every bit of those 30 years worth it.” Burton’s father served in the United States Air Force for 30 years. Growing up, Burton said he lived in Puerto Rico, Spain and 10 states across the country. “That’s one reason I’m thankful to be able to have remained in one place,” said Burton. “This community has been nothing but good for me.”
Burton said that’s one of the things he’ll miss most — working with the community. He said interacting with residents of Bridgeport as well as those visiting has been special. “I’ll miss the community, the staff and all of it. I guess maybe, when looking back, I’d do some things different, but overall I’m happy with how things turned out,” said Burton. “I’ve really been blessed with a great staff and working with [Deputy Director] Joe [Shuttleworth]. What I’ve mentioned that was done wasn’t done by myself, but with the staff we’ve had and the support of past City Councils and the current City Council. The one thing everyone has had in common is they all have the best interest of the residents and community at the forefront of all they do.” Haws said he’s confident that the Parks Department will move forward. Replacing Burton’s relationships, he said, can’t be duplicated. “It’s the people knowledge he has that can’t be replaced, because the technical stuff can be learned,” said Haws.
“What he’s developed with people is irreplaceable.” Eventually, the city will have to try to replace some of that irreplaceable. How that will go down hasn’t been determined, but Haws knows with the spring season coming up soon that having everything in order is critical. “We’re still working on how to proceed,” Haws said Thursday. “We’ll get his input into the process for certain because we value it.” Burton is certain he’ll find things to do. He’s also certain of what he’s going to do immediately. “For a while, I’ll do as little as possible and have a little bit of fun, but I’ve been thinking I’ll probably pick up my old hobby of photography. I’d like to get back into that,” Burton said. “I might even work part-time to stay busy because I’m used to it. I guess the next adventure is about to begin.” Reprinted with permission from www.connect-bridgeport.com
Santa Comes to the Greater Huntington Park & Recreation District by Lauren Carte, Greater Huntington Park & Recreation District Development and Recreation Manager
Another successful holiday season has come and gone at the Greater Huntington Park & Recreation District (GHPRD). Being the office Christmas Enthusiast this time of year is especially special for me, but, here at the park district, we all take on the task of making the holiday season magical for the community we serve. GHPRD elves spent the month of December spreading Christmas cheer through events and activities. GHPRD kicked off the holiday season with a Cozy Christmas Campfire at Ritter Park’s Gobblers Knob. Guests enjoyed s’mores and hot cocoa, made reindeer food and joined the Huntington Area Regional Theater members in singing Christmas carols around the campfire. Oh, what a surprise when Santa Claus himself made a special appearance!
Christmas creativity was in abundance at GHPRD’s Gingerbread House Decorating Party. Guests joined the recreation team at St. Cloud Commons Lodge to decorate their own gingerbread houses. Visions of sugarplums danced in their heads as they selected the perfect treats for their houses and themselves! Christmas music and twinkling colored lights set the mood for this family-friendly event.
Santa Claus came back to town for Huntington’s Annual Christmas Parade of Lights. GHPRD was tasked with creating the perfect float for him and the Mrs. to ride on. The GHPRD recreation team joined up with GHPRD maintenance staff to create a float that brought Santa’s sleigh and a cozy Christmas village to life. GHPRD received the gift of the second place trophy for our efforts, and children lined the street to catch a glimpse of Santa and Mrs. Claus! After all those exciting events, GHPRD staff took time to celebrate each other this holiday season. Our entire 30-person staff enjoyed a Christmas breakfast together at a local restaurant as we have for many years. Coffee, conversation and a work family like no other made for a year to be grateful for!
Parks and Partnerships
Bringing Art, Nature and Recreation Together by Stacey Leep, Greater Huntington Park & Recreation Superintendent
As parks and recreation professionals, we all know that partnerships are vital to serving our communities. Whether it’s working with local government organizations, nonprofit advocate groups, hometown businesses or regional corporations, our efforts to serve the community are strengthened when we join forces with those around us with similar goals. The Greater Huntington Park & Recreation District (GHPRD) strives to foster relationships with local stakeholders in an attempt to improve its parks, facilities and recreation programming. From working with Boy Scouts to improve and repair park benches, to partnering with the Women’s Club to plant trees, to seeking local organizations’ buy-in to build a new playground, the park district relies heavily on the community to enhance the great work that we do. In 2015, GHPRD Recreation Superintendent Stacey Leep was invited to join the Huntington Museum of Art’s (HMA) Trails Committee, and a new partnership was formed. The quarterly meetings of the HMA’s Trails Committee inspired an idea of GHPRD and HMA working together to host seasonal hikes. In January 2016, a Hot Cocoa Hike kicked off this series, with fantastic response from the community, followed by a Wildflower Hike in the spring, a Picnicking Hike in the summer and an Autumn Leaves Hike in the fall. These seasonal hikes begin with participants being divided into three groups and matched with HMA nature docents. Each docent leads their group to the trails from a different entry point in the trail system for an approximately two-mile hike. When the hike is done, participants gather in the studios behind the museum for seasonal, nature-themed crafts and refreshments. Through this valuable partnership, GHPRD and HMA have enhanced the lives of hundreds of residents of Huntington and surrounding areas. The response from the community 8
is measured not only in the number of people who attend these events, but in the new and old faces we see each time. These seasonal hikes average 90 participants per event, with crowds of 150 people on more than one occasion. These free-to-the-public events provide members of the community an opportunity to enjoy some easy physical activity in a beautiful setting with like-minded individuals and families, followed by fellowship and fun. GHPRD and HMA look forward to embarking on another year of working together to improve the lives of the people we serve through outdoor recreation and art appreciation.
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Built in 1977, the Marion County Parks and Recreation Commission (MCPARC) Wave Pool was the first wave pool in the state. MCPARC is in the process of completing major improvements and renovations to the wave pool facilities. Omni Associates-Architects was hired through the 5G process for architectural services, and City Construction Company out of Clarksburg was awarded the bid to begin construction last fall. The new facilities will include updated concessions and bathrooms, a large roof canopy for shade and weather protection, a new family restroom, a new concrete pool deck, pool cabanas, and a party room. Total cost for phase one renovations is $1.6 million, with the main source of funding being the excess parks levy that is voted on by Marion County citizens every four years. The renovations are scheduled to be complete by May 15, and the pool will open as scheduled on Memorial Day weekend. The renovations are the first phase of development, and future phases include additional cabanas, shade structures and a FlowRider continuous wave machine. 9
Charleston County Parks and Recreation Getting Active With CWV by Kelsey Gilbert
Charleston County Parks and Recreation has been hard at it this year with influencing the community toward a more active lifestyle. With the launch of our new website, www.getactivecwv. com, and the plunge into social media, Charleston County Parks and Recreation has been taking leaps and bounds in order to get the community moving. By planning substantial events, offering more fitness-related activities and getting creative to draw more people in, Charleston County Parks and Recreation is becoming a standout department within the city of Charleston. Kicking off 2017, Program Coordinator Kelsey Gilbert headed up the year with the Biggest Loser Challenge. For only $10, participants were able to participate for nine weeks in weekly boot camps, educational classes and assistance from this former personal trainer. With 96 registered participants, this event was a community hit. Gilbert has gone on to continue her quest of health and fitness for the city with Workout Wednesdays, Take a Hike Tuesdays, two summer nature camps, a five-mile trail race (the Cato 5-Miler) and an even larger launch of the 2018 Biggest Loser Challenge. We have partnered with NRPA’s A Walk in the Park program this summer, in an effort to get those with arthritis moving and active. Senior Program Coordinator Julianne Yacovone has been making waves with her successes in the department, working with Andy Marstiller of the city’s information systems department, to develop our new website and social media pages to boost continual interaction with our online community. Along with her digital success, Yacovone has taken on the role of major events within Charleston County Parks and Recreation: the Citywide Egg Hunt at Magic Island, our own style of geocaching at Cato, and the Children’s Festival. More recently, she’s engaged with A21 to host a Walk for Freedom, which is to bring awareness and stop human trafficking. Getting active in the local area is more than working out and running races … Charleston County Parks and Recreation is here to make it diverse and creative! Among our efforts to get children in the area more active and learning kinesthetically, Yacovone has brought parks and recreation into the local schools. Utilizing Archery in the Schools training provided by the Department of Natural Resources, Yacovone became a certified instructor and has been able to teach the kids of Edgewood Elementary School new skills, expand their knowledge of archery and enhance their hand-eye coordination. During the warmer months, Yacovone also works with Piedmont Elementary School and 10
the Martin Luther King Jr. Center’s Head Start, teaching swim lessons. Gilbert’s summer nature camps were geared towards making our inner city children more comfortable in nature, building respect toward their natural environment and learning fun skills during their week. Building a fire, hiking, gardening, nature writing, and a visit from the City of Charleston Police Department for Walk with a Cop were just a few activities the children got to enjoy. Continuing our outdoor-active mission, Yacovone welcomed the Charleston Montessori to Cato Park this fall to give the children an educational immersion into nature. The Montessori students have participated in various outdoor activities, including hiking, archery, viewing the solar eclipse and more. After the main swimming season ended, our centers engaged the dog lovers of the area to bring their best friends down for the annual dog swim. Dog swims took place for a week at Kanawha City Community Center and the Martin Luther King Jr. Center. For a late fall active event, the North Charleston Community Center and Cato Park hosted a Fishing Rodeo at their respective pools for children under 16, to give these inner city children a chance to cast their way to harvesting their own food. We hope to continue community outreach in the schools and provide local children the opportunity for more physical activity and engagement within their natural environment. Having ample events for community members to participate in is more important than ever for our younger population of Charleston. Department Director John Charnock always keeps it on his radar to maintain our facilities so folks want to keep coming back. Just this year, Charleston County Parks and Recreation has installed and improved all the gym floors in three of our centers. This was just in time for Kanawha City Center Manager Dax Miller to host his widely popular annual Biddy Basketball league. We are improving our Schoenbaum tennis courts — where we host the high school state tennis tournaments. The Magic Island volleyball pits have been moved and completely updated, along with the current upgrade to our boulevard’s expansion by the city to allow for a more cycling-friendly experience. Our department was also approached by United Way of Charleston to install a Born Learning Trail on Magic Island. The trail was installed by Yacovone and Gilbert, with volunteers from The Dow Chemical Company, on the National Day of Caring, September 20, 2017. Magic Island is truly becoming a central hub for downtown Charleston events and recreation. Though things may seem small upon initial inspection, Charleston County Parks and Recreation takes pride in the fact that everything we do, we do to improve the experience for our community. We are beyond excited for the 2018 year and what experiences we can provide to the public. For more information and to keep up with us, please visit us at: www.getactivecwv.com. 11
West Virginia Recreation and Parks Association 164 W. Main St. Bridgeport, WV 26330
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Transforming
Fayette County Park
Change has become the new norm for Fayette County Park. Over the course of the past 16 months, a range of activities has taken place that has encouraged the community to reconnect with their local park and for the park to reconnect with the local community — as a result, it has been a busy and exciting time. In an effort to effectively promote the park, new branding materials have been created. A new logo, park map, letterhead and business cards have all received favorable reviews. Not only does the park have a new look through its logo, but many of the facilities at the park are sporting a new
appearance through upgrades and renovations. The park pool has met ADA requirements by adding two pool lifts. In addition, the pool has new chairs and umbrellas. Many buildings and picnic tables have received a fresh coat of paint, and three sections of the park road have been repaved. It hasn’t been all work and no play, as the park has hosted several new events and welcomed the return of horse shows to the refurbished horse arena. An Easter egg hunt, community pool party and STEM programming proved to be a good time for all. The changes and accomplishments serve as a strong motivator for future projects. Currently, the park is in the final stages of completing an 18-hole disc golf course, and there are plans to upgrade
playground equipment, the basketball court and hiking trails. Over the past year, Fayette County Park has developed a strong volunteer base with various community organizations that are always willing to assist with work projects and events. 4-H clubs, rotary groups, Jamboree Scouts, vocational students and many others assisted with a range of projects, which included preservation work on the historical park cabins and decorating for the Winter Wonderland event. In addition, staff have responded enthusiastically to the changes and recently adopted the highway that leads to the park. With the support of volunteers, our local parks and recreation Board, and the Fayette County Commission, 2018 will be another eventful year for Fayette County Park.