Articles
Green Latrine
Michigan’s Grand Haven State Park--48 acres of sumptuous white-sand beach along the shores of Lake Michigan--serves over 92,000 campers each year, and generates over $1 million in revenue. Since campe
The People We Serve
Names, or Тlabels,У affect past, present and future relationships, sometimes profoundly. As stated in ТLeisure programming: A service-centered and benefits approach,У ТThe use of one particular label
Trends In Fitness Classes
In adding a new fitness class to your facilityХs schedule, you know that picking the right one can mean the difference between making a direct hit that draws a capacity crowd every time, and choosing
Top 10 Spray-Equipment Productivity Tips
A common complaint from some parks and recreation staff members is that they donХt seem to get the life out of spray equipment that they would like. Among the concerns are equipment that wears out too
A Living Legend
There are people who claim to have the ability to communicate with animals, talk with the dead, and see things that have not yet come to pass. While James ТVernУ Houghtaling does not profess to have a
Can Golf Courses Save The Red-Headed Woodpecker?
With its spectacular full head of crimson red, this particular woodpecker is literally losing ground. It is losing its specialized habitat and therefore decreasing its numbers, which is worrisome to
Fitness In Frigid Temperatures
For the 3,000 to 4,000 U.S. Air Force personnel who use the newly remodeled and expanded fitness center at Eielson Air Force Base (AFB) in Alaska, seven months of -40 F winter weather just became
Snuffing Out Smoking
As Americans become more health-conscious and less tolerable of second-hand smoke, itХs no wonder most parks and recreation departments around the country are looking to ban smoking in parks and other
Building A Trend
Sandy Monahan, then a volunteer for Delhi Township Parks and Recreation, was asked to be responsible for 150 kids from the west side of Cincinnati, who wanted to attend a mobile skatepark series expo
Circling The State On A Cycle
ТOne thing cycling has taught me was that if you can achieve something without a struggle itХs not going to be satisfying.У-- Greg LeMond, three-time winner of the Tour de FranceShortly after I was el
Tree Propagation
Since the 1970s, ArlingtonCounty in Virginia has lost a significant amount of its tree canopy with an estimated 3,000-plus acres being converted from ТheavyУ tree cover (over 50-percent canopy) to Тlo
The Heart Of High-Performance Boards
Boards are established to govern, which is a vital function for the health of their respective organizations. This responsibility is not about Тgood relationsУ with the staff or community prestige, bu
Sometimes, Bigger is Better
It was 1984 and my teenage angst was in full-gear. I needed, desperately needed, a boom box. The bigger the better.My younger sister, always advanced for her age, had the same wish, so we temporarily
Give Customers Satisfaction
A question related to customer service has historically occupied a place on interview questions in park and recreation departments across the country. So why does it appear now as though customer
Embezzlers Beware
During the past several months there has been plenty of shocking youth sports stories from around the country--fistfights, assaults and all the other nonsense that takes place among adults. We all
Weighing The Options
Everyone loves the sparkle of crystal-clear pool water. But how do you keep it that way? ThatХs the job of the filtration system.Filtration is the mechanical process of removing particles of dirt, org
Troubleshooting Filters
No matter how much care is taken to operate a filtration system at its peak performance, there are times when the pool operator witnesses changes in water clarity. Additionally, the ability to see
How People Play
Play is a dynamic process that changes as people grow. The simple act of play actually becomes increasingly more complex and is an essential part of a childХs development. The demands on todayХs child
Calcium Saturation Index
Since the early 1960s, the pool industry has been using a concept called the Calcium Saturation Index (CSI) to predict waterХs tendency to be corrosive or scale-forming. And for just as long, it has b
Master Plans
EditorХs Note: This column, ТLBWAУ (Leadership By Wandering Around), is based on the premise that, in order to find out whatХs going on in the field, a parks and rec leader has to leave his or her des