Articles — PRB

“Going green” is an effective and responsible way for businesses to manage their impact on the environment; it is also a way to reap long-term profits and boost the bottom line. These choices can result

AquaticsBryan BuchkoJuly 10, 2019Aquatics, Connie Sue Centrella, Departments, Green Practices, Issues, October 2012, Sustainability, Swimming Pools, Pool Maintenance, Parks and Rec BusinessComment

Water Park Adventure

It’s finally summer—water park season is here! If you are like me, the director of Carmel Clay Parks & Recreation (CCPR) in Indiana, you’re looking to fill your park or attraction with happy and safe guests who

Aquatics, Editor's PickChristine SchaffranJuly 2, 2019Eric Mehl, July 2019, Current Issue, Water Parks, Water Park Design, Renovations, Climbing WallsComment

The Value Of Four Minutes

Four minutes. Under most circumstances, four minutes is unimportant and forgettable. The time it takes to gas up your car. To pay the monthly bills online. To order a sweater on Amazon. At other times it can feel

Aquatics, Most PopularChristine SchaffranJuly 2, 2019Bill Plessigner, July 2019, Current Issue, Customer Service, Lifeguards, Lifeguard TrainingComment

For The Community, By The Community

In East Naples, Fla., options for summertime recreation were limited to indoor activities or suffering in the heat of the sun. While Collier County is a coastal community, not everyone in East Naples has access to the

Aquatics, Editor's PickChristine SchaffranJuly 2, 2019Daniel Christenbury, July 2019, Current Issue, Public Input, Aquatic Facilities, Facility DesignComment

Cutting Corners

When it comes to adding any type of aquatic feature into a park—whether a community pool or a splash pad—there are important safety elements to take into consideration, some of which may not seem like the

Aquatics, Most PopularChristine SchaffranJuly 2, 2019Josh Martin, July 2019, Current Issue, Swimming Pools, Water Quality, Water Chemistry, Pool Water Chemistry, Splash Pad, Splash Park, DesignComment

Moving Beyond Accessibility Toward Inclusivity

The Mansfield YMCA Splash Pad Park, designed and developed by Rain Drop Products LLC, in Mansfield, Ohio, is the first splash park to move beyond accessibility compliance through making features

AquaticsChristine SchaffranJuly 2, 2019July 2019, Current Issue, Rain Drop Products, Splash Park, Splash Pad, InclusiveComment

Effective Or Inadequate?

Many states have only general aquatic guidelines, but those that have detailed, comprehensive pool codes, such as Florida and Nevada, along with the most in-depth service technician/operator

AquaticsBryan BuchkoJune 28, 2019Departments, Issues, November 2012, Pool Water Chemistry, Richard K- Cacioppo Sr-, Pool Filters, Pool Maintenance, Parks and Rec BusinessComment

Make Filter Media Last

Like any other pool component, filter media must be maintained to ensure a long and productive life. But what exactly does that mean? Are pool operators doing what is expected to stretch every dollar

AquaticsBryan BuchkoMay 29, 2019April 2013, Departments, Issues, Sports Fields, Pool Filters, Pool Maintenance, Parks and Rec Business, Trevor Sherwood IIComment

Not So Crystal Clear

Noah was a freshly minted lifeguard who was starting his first summer job at the local park district. When he arrived at the beachfront, it looked nothing like the clear pool setting he had seen in his American Red

Aquatics, Editor's PickChristine SchaffranMay 29, 2019Catherine Scheder, June 2019, Waterfront Safety, Lakes, Ponds, Current IssueComment

Tap Additional Revenue Streams

Since water aerobics at the city of Sacramento's swimming pools began in 2001, adults in the community have gleefully anticipated the opening of the pools each summer. In summer 2012, attendance for w

AquaticsBryan BuchkoMay 24, 2019April 2013, Aquatics, Departments, Issues, Sacramento, Social Media, Terri Webster Matal, Water Aerobics, Parks and Rec BusinessComment

Embrace Adaptation

Larry French stood in the marina in Safety Harbor, Fla., eyeing kayaks on a trailer. The 67-year-old above-elbow amputee looked at his right arm, which ended just 4 inches below his shoulder, and

AquaticsBryan BuchkoMay 17, 2019April 2013, Departments, Disabilities, Inclusive, Issues, Julie Inman, Kayaking, PRB Directory Stories, Prosthetics, Videos, Parks and Rec BusinessComment

Deep Pockets Not Required

In group classes—such as water aerobics and deep-water toning—camaraderie is typically one of the characteristics participants appreciate. But the one aspect of the program that might be self-sustaining is

AquaticsBryan BuchkoMay 10, 2019April 2013, Aquatic Programming, Athletic + Recreation Programming, Cedarburg Wisconsin, Deep Water Exercise, Departments, Eric Ryer, Funding, Issues, Parks and Rec BusinessComment

Knee Deep In Knowledge

A newspaper article about a classroom water-quality monitoring program inspired honors biology teacher Connie Gannon to literally send her Waterford Mott High School students “up a creek” in Waterford, Mich.

AquaticsBryan BuchkoMay 8, 2019Departments, Desiree Stanfield, Ecosystems, Education, Issues, May 2013, Oakland County Parks and Recreation Commission, Ponds, Water Quality, Wetlands, Parks and Rec BusinessComment

Searching For A Solution

A young duckling emerges from the shallow, cool waters of his birth lake and creeps warily through the tall, damp cattails. The sun's rays begin to dry the previous night's dew. He shakes the last dro

AquaticsBryan BuchkoApril 12, 2019Departments, Gwinnett County Parks and Recreation, Issues, March 2013, Mark A- Patterson, Waterfowl, Wildlife Control, Parks and Rec BusinessComment

Soaring To New Heights

Years ago, swimmers of all ages flocked to public pools to take a refreshing break from the summer heat. Frolicking in the water and swimming a few laps satisfied a craving for fun, provided a

AquaticsBryan BuchkoApril 1, 2019Aquatics, Climbing Walls, Departments, Everlast Climbing, February 2013, Issues, Tracy Carbasho, Woodlands Township Parks and Recreation Department, Parks and Rec BusinessComment

Minneapolis Goes All-Natural

Minneapolis Park and Recreation Board (MPRB) Superintendent Jayne Miller closed her eyes and took a deep breath amid a buzz of last-minute preparations on a sweltering, mid-summer afternoon.

AquaticsChristine SchaffranApril 1, 2019Ben Johnson, April 2017, Swimming Pools, Swimming, Natural Swimming Pools, Current Issue, April 2019Comment

Everyone Deserves A Day At The Beach

There’s something magical about living at the beach. The United States features more than 90,000 miles of coastline, and Oregon features 1,410 of those miles. For me and many of the residents who find coastal

AquaticsChristine SchaffranApril 1, 2019Current Issue, Skyler Archibald, April 2019, Accessibility, BeachesComment

Ammonia And Nitrates--How They Affect Pool Water Chemistry

Ammonia is a colorless strongly alkaline gas with a very familiar pungent odor. The first complex molecule discovered in space in the galactic dust clouds of the Milky Way. It also makes up the rings of the planet

AquaticsChristine SchaffranMarch 12, 2019Terry Arko, Exclusive Content, Web-Only ContentComment

Moss In The Pool

In 2009, a proposal crossed my desk that couldn't be passed up. With cost savings, a reduction of the environmental impact and an innovative transformation in the way the city of Saint Paul, Minn., ma

AquaticsBryan BuchkoMarch 7, 2019Aquatics, Departments, Filtration, Issues, Mike Hahm, Moss, September 2011, Pool Maintenance, Parks and Rec Business, Current IssueComment

Great Clients Make Great Projects

Marina Park—located on Balboa Peninsula in Newport Beach, Calif.—officially opened in December 2016 after more than 10 years in the planning, design, and construction process. The park site and the story

AquaticsChristine SchaffranMarch 7, 2019Current Issue, Dan Herman, March 2019, Marina Park, Park Design, Park RenovationComment