This-N-That
Study Illustrates Economic Potential Of Great American Rail-Trail
Washington—The Great American Rail-Trail, the nation’s first cross-country multiuse trail, will have a significant economic impact for the communities it serves, according to a new analysis released today by Headwaters Economics, in partnership with Rails-to-Trails Conservancy (RTC), the organization spearheading the trail’s development. The study estimates that each year the trail could generate more than $229.4 million in visitor spending, $104 million in labor income and $22.8 million in new tax revenue.
The analysis looked at the trail’s potential to bring visitors, businesses, spending, jobs, income and tax revenue to the communities along its 3,700-mile route and found the trail will contribute $161 million to the GDP each year. However, the study authors caution that this potential can only be fully realized with the investment and support of the communities that host the trail.
The economic impact was calculated using trail counter data to estimate the number of visitors using the Great American Rail-Trail and the amount these visitors spend during their trips. Total visitor spending in each state was inputted into IMPLAN—an economic modeling program—to estimate the economic impact of the Great American, measured in terms of jobs, income, value-added and tax revenue.
When complete, the Great American will serve 50 million people living within 50 miles of the trail, as well as millions of additional visitors from around the country and the world. Explore the economic impact of the Great American Rail-Trail at rtc.li/GRTImpact. Connect with the Great American at greatamericanrailtrail.org, and on social media using @greatamericanrailtrail and #GRTAmerican.
Reimagined, Redesigned And Revitalized
Redesigning a golf course can be a daunting task and monumental undertaking, but perhaps even more so for a historically significant and popular course like City Park that has stood as a beacon in Denver’s burgeoning golf community since 1913.
A redesign, which began in fall of 2017 and concluded in fall of 2020, was done to revitalize the course and improve facilities while integrating a stormwater detention area to help mitigate and reduce flood risks in surrounding neighborhoods.
The renewed course preserves the traditional parkland style and offers important glimpses of the old course while providing a new experience at the same time. Intricate water features, elevation changes and a variety of green complexes challenge all golfers. A spectacular panorama of the downtown skyline and mountains provide the best view in the city, and modernized amenities will be enjoyed by golfers and neighbors alike for generations to come.
--Information provided by Kelsey Batschelet, Performance Marketing Representative with Toro, Inc.
Field Notes
Exmark has launched a Shop Local ecommerce platform for the online sale of Exmark Original parts and accessories. The platform empowers Exmark owners to search for and purchase the parts and accessories they need online anytime day or night, with delivery to their doorstep or service shop. Simply visit the parts and accessories menu on the Exmark website to get started shopping. Visit Shop.Exmark.com.
The world’s largest system of privately-owned campgrounds, Kampgrounds of America, Inc. (KOA), is celebrating its 60th anniversary. Advancing the business of outdoor hospitality since the first KOA opened on the banks of Montana’s Yellowstone River in 1962, the company has grown to include 525 franchised and owned locations across the U.S. and Canada.
Yanmar Compact Equipment North America launched a website dedicated to its lines of compact equipment. The new site requires fewer clicks to reach product and industry pages, and the intuitive layout makes it simple to locate desired information, in addition to improving the site’s visual appeal. Visit www.YanmarCE.com.
Putterman Athletics hired Randy Futty as their newly created Executive Vice President of Business Development. He is past chairman of the USTA National Technical Committee and has served on the Board of Directors and the Executive Committee of the American Sports Builders Association in a number of past years. Since joining the industry in 1992, Randy has been involved with all facets of court construction, court surfacing, and the court products manufacturing market.
Chris Keffer has been named Vice President Sales and Marketing of STIHL Inc. He will be responsible for sales for the domestic and export markets, sales planning, e-commerce, new product development, all marketing programs, and branch operations throughout the United States. Researchers measure the happiness benefits of nature with digital technology
Metro Boston Enjoys New Rec Facility
Tasked with building the new Boston Sports Institute—a 130,000 square foot, multi-purpose facility in Wellesley, Mass.—design build firm Dacon Corporation chose a metal structure to optimally support the facility’s large clear spans and insulation requirements.
Together with the primary and secondary steel framing, the project called for 58,000 square feet of insulated metal panels (IMPs) in a variety of orientations, colors, and designs. In addition to lending a sharp aesthetic with horizontal and vertical strips of gray, white and sandstone, the IMPs provide an all-in-one, built-in water, vapor and air barrier plus insulation system.
IMPs are “an ideal wall system for a facility with demanding environmental needs,” explained Kevin Provencher, Director of Architecture at Dacon in an architectural award submission. “We were committed to using insulated metal panels from the earliest design stages, both for their performance and design flexibility.”
Used on the walls and a portion of the pool roof, the IMPs thermal properties were key to maintaining temperatures a chilly 55°F inside the facility’s two NHL ice ranks and a warm 82°F in the pool area.
--Information provided by Tony Bouquot, general manager of Metal Building Manufacturers Association
Letters:
Well Wishes
Hi Ron,
I am retiring in a couple of weeks, after 36 years in the recreation field. As I was sifting through emails, your headline … caught my attention (“In The Eyes Of A Crisis,” PRB March). I wanted to congratulate and thank you on a real story, very well written and captivating.
One of my daughters works as a hospital nurse. Not in the ICU, but rather in maternity. Even in what is arguably the “happiest department in a hospital,” the trauma she’s been through the last couple of years has often been shocking and in a few cases, heartbreaking because of the pandemic. The disassociation you described—staff not wanting to make eye contact with you, etc.—is pure and simple a defense mechanism implemented by overworked, under-appreciated, and often abused hospital staff.
Thank you again, and safe and healthy passage to and your wife.
Sincerely,
Larry McKinney
Recreation Section Manager
Salt Lake County Parks & Recreation
STIHL Expanding Grant Program
Virginia Beach, Va.—STIHL Inc. is expanding the Hearts of STIHL program, an initiative to care for the environment through the preservation of the nation’s state parks. Inspired by the staff of America’s State Parks, the mission of Hearts of STIHL is to help those people and programs that are caring for the national treasures and preserve them for the enjoyment of all Americans.
The 2022 Hearts of STIHL program will provide a $20,000 grant to a park in each of the nation’s six regions for a total of $120,000 in 2022, which are the Northwest, North-Central, Central, Southwest, Northeast and Southeast. The grants will be managed by the America’s State Parks Foundation, and parks can apply for funds to help projects related to sustainability, recovery, conservation, or environmental education programs.
Visit www.stihlusa.com/community/hearts-of-stihl/ to learn more.
Ecore Donates Flooring Youth-Training Facility
Lancaster, Penn.—Ecore continues to make good on its mission to make people's lives better through its most recent donation of 2,000 square feet of performance flooring to Lancaster, Pa.-based Lionheart Training, a youth facility that provides physical conditioning and athletic training to inner-city children ages 6 to 12. The youth training facility and camp offers services to kids from Lancaster and surrounding communities.
Ecore's RageTurf Motivate was installed in the primary space for functional training activities and offers energy restitution and force reduction, excellent coefficient of friction and noise reduction.
Ecore's Basic Fit flooring product was installed in the cardio and treadmill training area and also was installed in the lounge and computer/learning room where children do schoolwork or watch film to further enhance their training needs.