Park Stories

Holly Springs, N.C. gives four-legged residents room to roam By LeeAnn Plumer For years many communities have offered places for people to run, play, and have fun, but now many agencies are hearing the call to provide safe, accessible dog parks, too. This shift is not a new trend, but continues to build. According to the American Pet Products Association, new pet ownership grew to 70 percent in 20...

To build the best inclusive playground for your community By Tim Roetman An accessible playspace has never been easier to build. With options from several playground manufacturers, the sky is the limit. But how does one get it right the first time as far as what a community wants and needs? Below is a look at how to identify a community’s needs, how to design a play space with the whole family in...

Creating an adaptive tennis program that encourages players of differing abilities to play together By Cameron Levis The daily mission of park and recreation professionals is to enhance the quality of life for residents through a variety of programs, services, and facilities. However, some professionals may not fully recognize their power to create true social change for a population that is often...

ADA is just the stepping stone By Mary Helen Sprecher More than three decades ago the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) became law. At the time, it was groundbreaking, ushering in an era in which accessible restrooms, wheelchair ramps for public facilities, curb cuts, and other means of accommodation were mandated.

Sensory bags bridge communication gap between officers and community By Marika Carley On an overcast, late April day, a young boy runs along Georgia Avenue—a busy thoroughfare in Montgomery County, Md.,—barely avoiding being hit by passing vehicles. The child is spotted by Sgt. Trevin Sherard, a Montgomery Parks Police officer, who happens to be driving past the scene. Sherard immediately springs...

Exploring solutions to curb violent behavior at sporting events By John Engh On a recent drive to work, I decided to write a column about the importance of coaches and administrators knowing about heat illness and how to help prevent it in youth sports. Living in South Florida, I always found the subject intriguing. 

Don’t let technology take over what humans can do better By Ron Ciancutti I recently saw a truck commercial where the driver took his hands off the wheel and began to play patty-cake by himself. As the music swelled with the beat, he sat back comfortably, presumably to await the oncoming 18-wheeler being driven by a guy who was probably busy trying to reset his cell phone clock. The advantage ther...

As a park-shelter design unfolds, it takes the shape of … triangles? By Jamin AAsum Designs that appear simple and resolved are often the result of a painstakingly detailed process. While a park shelter at Luuwit View Park in Portland, Ore., appears to be a simple collection of triangular shapes, there is a complexity behind the presentation.  The sculpture-like shelter is part of the new park cre...

Creative engineering solutions help bring this destination to life By Colby Nennig Spanning 20 acres, featuring 20 thrilling attractions, and serving as the largest waterpark project in the western U.S. in the past decade, Wild Rivers in Irvine, Calif., is a years-in-the-making community destination. The previous Wild Rivers location closed in 2011, and the new facility has been reimagined with st...

They’re not just for open water and boats By Tom Griffiths and Rachel Griffiths Life jacket, life preserver, life vest, personal flotation device (PFD)—no matter what you call it—the life jacket has a long and varied history. According to Christopher Brooks, in Designed for Life: Life Jackets through the Ages, the earliest example of a life jacket or floatation device can be found on marble carvin...

Ways to make maintenance effective at a water park   By Chris Biancofiore It goes without saying that safety, maintenance, and saving money are important at park facilities. But think about how these three concepts connect for a water park to thrive.  Good, consistent maintenance mitigates safety risks that are inherent in creating fun and thrills with water. In more than 20 years in the industry...

Participation trophy debate makes its way to NC senators   By John Engh  This headline recently appeared in North Carolina: “NC senators propose eliminating participation trophies for youth sports.”  I’m not even going to try to figure out how great life must be in North Carolina if this is something state legislators are focused on, but I am sure there must be more important issues! In brief, the...

Programming, planning, and projects are key ingredients in attracting user groups to swimming pools  By Lauren Ozburn  In the summer before I began middle school, I officially became an elder at the local pool that was within walking distance from my house. I probably consumed a dozen or more frozen Snickers as bribes by lifeguards who wanted to leave the pool on days too cold to remain open. My f...

Justifying closing a water park earlier than usual for major renovations By Carolyn Mondlock With routine maintenance, inspections, and upgrades, water park operating systems can last at least 20 years before major renovations are needed. While maintenance can keep guests safe and happy, a carefully planned, end-of-season closure for a park is just as important to the success of opening one the ne...

Why it’s better to live a real life By Ron Ciancutti  I have a cartoon me and a real me. Cartoon me has no history, no past. He never went to school, never had friends, was never married, and had no children. He smiles on cue and never loses sleep over stress or pressure. Sometimes I wish I could live like cartoon me—resistant to pain and difficulties. On the other hand, real me has had a good sha...

Achieving universal accessibility at Crystal Lake's shoreline park By Cassie Bethoney One of only a few public parks along the shores of Crystal Lake, Louise Levingston Cove is a linear, half-acre public park located in a residential neighborhood. Crystal Lake, and Levingston Cove in particular, is a place of nostalgia, where people learned to fish as kids, launched kayaks, or simply enjoyed...

Field Sports Park provides safe, supervised firing-range opportunities By Joanna Piedmont East of one of the busiest freeways in California, bright lights beckon southbound drivers coming from San Jose on Highway 101. Those who have wondered but never stopped to inquire may be surprised to learn they have just passed the only publicly-owned firing range in the Bay Area. 

Waterfront park improvements aim to create community gathering spaces By Brad Smith Casablanca Waterfront Park is a dynamic park that offers visitors a diverse range of experiences with spectacular views of Lake Ontario. The park is in the town of Grimsby, and the surrounding area is becoming an upscale, desired location. Over the past five years, the town has seen steady growth with the completio...

More than a fancy word, use it to improve results in swim lessons By Jo An M. Zimmermann and Stacey Bender Aquaticity is a term historically used in biology and refers to the capacity of an organism to function or be comfortable in an aquatic environment (Vaveri et al., 2016). By focusing on skills such as breath-hold capacity, buoyancy, propulsion, and physical conditioning (endurance and strengt...

Inspiring residents to explore parks creates a buzz that began with a simple walk through the storage room By Margaret Collett In the summer of 2020, parks and recreation departments across the country were looking for ways to engage community members safely since the COVID-19 pandemic brought most traditional programming to a halt. In Appleton, Wis., the parks and recreation team took on a “2020...

Hold coaches to the same standards for safety and uniformity By John Engh There is a feature on the National Alliance for Youth Sports website ( www.nays.org ) available for parents to report a coach who is behaving badly. The feature is called, you guessed it, “Report a Coach.”  Unfortunately, the feature is getting far more use than we ever imagined. And some of the reports are beyond alarming. 

Spend time getting tangled up in each other’s business By Ron Ciancutti I don’t know many families that still collectively sit down to dinner anymore. In fact, I’ve seen a lot of modern homes with a “breakfast bar” but not many with actual kitchen tables. The bar typically has a television at one end that helps discourage any possible interaction or conversation. In my house, the dinner table was...

Finding balance between ATV use and nature conservation By Jefferey Spivey ATV riding continues to be a popular American pastime—one that is often of tremendous value for many states. “Recreation in Idaho is a billion-dollar industry, and communities know that motorized recreationists bring with them funds to spark the local community,” says Chelsea Chambers, Public Information Specialist for the...

Grow food, friendships, and opportunities By Ann Christoph Community gardens are increasingly appreciated as urban amenities, where social isolation—both from standardized-housing tract design and from COVID-19 pandemic restrictions—can be relieved. For example, the community of Rancho Mission Viejo in southeast Orange County, Calif., advertises “Get closer to nature and neighbors with all the ele...

Whiting Forest provides a memorable experience that fosters inter-generational interaction By Frances Owen Now in its 11th year, the Great Iowa River Race begins within Iowa City (at a river access managed by the city) and ends 9.25 miles downstream on the Iowa River at Hills Access Campground, a property managed by Johnson County Conservation. Canoers, kayakers, and paddleboarders are welcome to...