Articles
A Return To Manual Maintenance
As we all know, parks are wonderful places for family and friends to enjoy any time of the year. Reunions, birthday parties, graduation parties and other events are often celebrated in recreational
Spring Startup
Vending machines can be found at almost every recreation center in the United States. They are an amenity our customers cannot live without. How can we be more environmentally responsible in
A View With A Room
At 25 years old, the Bolingbrook Park DistrictХs 10th Hole Pub at its Boughton Ridge Golf Course in southwest suburban Chicago was long in the tooth.Outings were under a tent pavilion, subject to Moth
A Refresher Course
No matter the climate where you live, spring brings new beginnings. In the challenge course world, the annual course inspection is often a piece of that.1. When scheduling the inspection, the
From Trash To Treasure
In the 1960s, the city of Fort Collins, Colo., stopped using a city dump site north of downtown and immediately adjacent to the PoudreRiver. In the early 1970s, most of the 13-acre site was converted
High-Frequency Playground Inspections
A worn, rusty S-hook at the top of a swing gives way, and a child tumbles to the ground.Another child falls from a climber onto a surface where mulch hasnХt been replenished in more than a year.Still
Maintenance Matters
With spring at our doorstep, it is time to look at several aspects of turf management and biannual turf maintenance. Although spring and fall are crucial times to provide much-needed maintenance to
This-N-That
VOC-Free Brite Stripe Earns EPA RecognitionCleveland, Ohio--Pioneer Athletics announces that its Brite Stripe Ultra-Friendly has been recognized by the Environmental Protection Agency with the first
Information By Design
ТBill? Bill?УNo matter how many times I shook the cell phone or turned up the volume, Bill was gone Р lost forever in the sink full of soapy water I was using to wash that SaturdayХs Тbig breakfastУ d
Team Building
Throughout the season, camp staff members progress through various levels of group development. These stages are both necessary and normal:Forming StormingNormingPerformingTransformingYou can help
Serve Up Volleyball Leagues And Tournaments
As a manager of properties with recreation areas for more than ten years, I have heard the question many times: Should I add a volleyball court? If you have the interest of patrons, space and funds
Moving Up (Or Moving Out)
WeХre all familiar with the typical single-elimination tournament bracket: 16 becomes eight, which becomes four and then two until only one remains standing--the champion. Now letХs turn the bracket 9
Gambling On DNA - How Far Are Parents Willing To Go?
Can you imagine holding an Alcoholics Anonymous meeting at a local bar during happy hour? Or how about taking someone struggling with a diet to an all-you-can-eat buffet?YouХre right, it wouldnХt happ
Serve Up Volleyball Leagues And Tournaments
As a manager of properties with recreation areas for more than ten years, I have heard the question many times: Should I add a volleyball court? If you have the interest of patrons, space and funds
The Four Seasons
The telephone rings with word that his plane has landed safely at the airport. Excitement billows through a growing crowd while the staff rambles about completing last-minute touches before he
Talking Trash
In a single year, over 10 million surfers, tourists and Los Angeles residents walk along the 3.4 miles of shoreline on Huntington Beach in southern California, bringing along all the standard
High-Frequency Playground Inspections
A worn, rusty S-hook at the top of a swing gives way, and a child tumbles to the ground. Another child falls from a climber onto a surface where mulch hasn’t been replenished in more than a year.
Making Water Work
Whether youХre just beginning to build a lake or pond or youХre finding it difficult to maintain one, developing a proper maintenance plan is essential. Although this plan is usually inexpensive, igno
Misery Loves Company
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