Recreating Parks and Recreation Funding
from The Times
 Even in unpinched economic times, a parks system has to scratch hard for funding. Recreation and the maintenance of park land can be seen as luxuries rather than necessities and can face stiff competition for taxpayer dollars. Officials of the Lake County, Ind., Parks Department saw that writing on the wall in the 1970s and moved toward reliance on a system of user fees that today has the system flourishing despite hard times. More 
Rec Sports Club Embraces New Mockumentary Show
from the Indiana Statesman
To the new show on NBC, Parks and Recreation, committees, meetings and management may be another punch line, but to the Indiana State University Recreation Management and Youth Leadership Club, these are serious aspects of their profession. Nathan Schaumleffel, assistant professor of recreation and sport management and coordinator of the recreation management and youth leadership concentration, said the show provided a new opportunity for the profession.
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Related: On April 9, NBC unveiled the premier episode of Parks and Recreation, a new "mockumentary" featuring Amy Poehler as the director of a parks and recreation department. Did you view the episode? What were your thoughts? NRPA invites you to share your opinions, view the premier episode and pick-up tips on how to leverage the publicity of the profession. Visit the discussion online through the P&R Now blog.
Y become Involved?
from NRPA
They IM. They’re extreme multi-taskers. They expect and embrace diversity. They want flexibility. They’re online, but are they tuned in to us? They are Generation Y and they are ready to become engaged in the parks and recreation community, but are we prepared to receive them? Generation Y represents more than 70 million Americans; the fastest growing segment of the workforce and in order to integrate them into the field, we must ensure we are creating the environment, expectations and tools that will engage and retain these young professionals. By participating in this online discussion, you’ll discover and share thoughts on getting Gen Y interested in P&R careers, involved in state and national associations and mobilized as citizen advocates. More
Friends Say They Can Run Connecticut Field
from the Record-Journal
A group of advocates for Falcon Field in Meriden, Conn., has proposed putting the $4 million facility under the management of volunteers to save the city money and provide additional revenue to field users. Friends of Falcon, a community group, has offered to have volunteers take on duties at the field, at one-third of what it costs the parks department. More
Lending a Helping Hand to a Community Space
from the Knoxville News-Sentinel
Claude Jones started cleaning up Walker Springs Park about six years ago when he began walking every day. He still picks up trash, removes fallen tree limbs and reports vandalism. Now, Knox County, Tenn., Parks and Recreation has developed a way to recognize and encourage the volunteer work of people like Jones. More
South Carolina Therapeutic Program Wins Honor for Recreation Group
from The Sun News
Chris Oxendine and Heather King talk about school as they sit down to a plate of popcorn and birthday cake at Club REC, one part of an award-winning program at the Brunswick County, S.C., Parks and Recreation Department. Oxendine and King are among about 30 mentally challenged adults who meet twice a week at Town Creek Park for club meetings, which for members are as much a social gathering as they are recreational outings. More
New York Water Park would Add Sparkle
from Lower Hudson Online
Westchester County, N.Y., leaders say traditional pools no longer attract the patrons they once did, so they are turning a Depression-era relic into a more modern water park - complete with a "lazy river," islands, slides, water tubes and flumes as well as underground extras such as more efficient filtration systems. It's part of a much broader vision of changing the county pool system into a series of water parks, said Joseph Stout, commissioner of parks and recreation. More
Miracle League Buddies Keep Rally Going for Special Players
from the Spartanburg Herald-Journal
Cheers showered the field and high-fives filled the air Saturday at Miracle Park as the Carolina Miracle League held “Celebrity Buddy Day.” About 30 local dignitaries — including high school and college athletes and coaches, school administrators, religious leaders and News Channel 7 anchors — joined Miracle League athletes during at-bats, trips around the bases and in the field. The Miracle League allows people with special needs an opportunity to participate in the national pastime on a uniquely designed playing surface.
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A Program for National Park Novices
from the Seattle Post-Intelligencer
Home from his summer job as a seasonal ranger at Katmai National Park, a young man named Brad Carlquist pitched the case for more Alaska parks to then-U.S. Rep. Al Swift, a self-described "great indoorsman." Nearly three decades have passed, and Carlquist is still working on a variation of the theme. More
California Residents Decorate Tiles for Pool Fundraiser
from The Modesto Bee
Having his right arm in a sling did not deter Keith McGinnis from doing his part for this town's new swimming pool. He took part in a Saturday fundraiser that involved buying a ceramic tile and making a personal design on its surface. The money will help with operating and maintenance costs at the pool, set to open June 12 in Empire, Calif. More
Palm Bay, Fla., Parks' New Lights Run on Solar Power
from Florida Today
Boaters and fisherman are safer at two Palm Bay, Fla., docks after the installation of solar-powered lights. Palm Bay Parks and Facilities Division Manager Gary Perkins said he wanted to install the light-emitting diode lights at the docks at Goode and Pollak parks because they use less electricity and last longer.
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These Hunters are on a Mission
from The Daily News Record
Easter egg hunting is serious business. And, according to professional hunters in Harrisonburg, Va., the effort requires skill, speed and, in some cases, tactical support and top-secret reconnaissance. The event has been a city tradition, courtesy of its Parks and Recreation Department, for more than half a century.
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