Articles
When To Chime In
We’re very lucky working in parks and recreation because most of what we do with young people is focused on building skills, character, and sportsmanship, and just having fun.
With A Little Luck
What does it take to roll out the green carpet to more than 100,000 guests? Much more than the “luck of the Irish.”
Pedaling Toward Progress
Roanoke, Va., is the Mountain Biking Capital of the East, and rightfully so. The city has over 60 miles of natural-surface trails in five parks, and that doesn’t include the mileage in nearby county parks, state parks, or national forests.
Don’t Overdo It
People often talk about balance—a balanced diet, balance between work and home, and balancing checkbooks for some of us Baby Boomers, who do things “old school.”
A Cheesy Idea
Mac ‘n cheese is the ultimate comfort food. In August 2011, members of the parks and rec department sat in the lunch room and discussed what each of us liked most about the food.
Part 2: Watering Synthetic Turf
Last month, I looked at the issue of whether or not synthetic-turf fields should require irrigation; basically, the decision has to be on a case-by-case basis, and there are many variables to consider.
One Of The Biggest Headaches: Handling Protests And Disputes
Having been a recreation director for a few years, I remember the dreadful times I had to deal with protests.
Capitalize On Social Media
With Smartphone use ubiquitous, and teens, tweens, and even soccer moms posting frequently on social media, participant recreation and leisure experiences have become two-fold—one part happens in real-life and real-time, and the other occurs in virtual time, which is sometimes during the event, and sometimes after.
Artistic Inspiration
As classroom sizes get larger, school budgets shrink, and subjects like drama, music, and art seem to be activities of the past, what is a budding 7-year-old artist to do?
A Symphonic March Down Memory Lane
In the early 1900s, Pauline, my grandmother, was raised in a small village in Italy where refrigeration was nothing more than an inconsistently delivered block of ice stored at the bottom of a battered, old “icebox.”