Pool Drain Safety Law Now in Effect
from The Californian
 The deadline has arrived for complying with a new federal law requiring businesses and cities with swimming pools and hot tubs to use anti-drowning drain covers to prevent children from getting trapped under water. Operators of these pools have had a year to make the drain safety improvements by today, and if they haven't they can be shut down. Trouble is, the feds don't have near the staffing to check almost 300,000 pools across the nation. More
See related article: Required New Pool Drain Covers in Short Supply (Houston Chronicle)
Yacht Club Members Donate Time at Parks’ Christmas Cruise
from The News Tribune
Andrew Johnston had never been on a holiday cruise before Sunday, and his first time may have been a little unorthodox. Johnston was one of about 200 participants who showed up for Metro Parks Tacoma, Wash.’s, SeaFair Christmas Cruise. Dozens of members of the Tacoma and Day Island yacht clubs donated time on their boats to bring aboard people with disabilities and give them a safe way to cruise the waves. More
Summit Teaches Students Dangers of Smoking
from the Miami Herald
Nearly 200 students ages 12 to 17 recently gathered at the second annual Youth Tobacco Summit in Hialeah, Fla. The event was made possible by the Florida Department of Health, the Miami-Dade County Health Department, the American Cancer Society, City of Hialeah Department of Parks and Recreation, and the Early Prevention and Intervention Youth Program (EPI), a program that helps kids stay out of crime, drugs, and violence. More
 |
Product Showcase:
Sof'Solutions Recreation Surfacing
 Sof’Shield Outdoor offers superior fall height protection, low maintenance, long wear and accessibility. This innovative unitary surface combines colorful, flexible wear layer mats with a recycled underlayment to create a soft, yet durable unitary surface that provides up to 10 feet of fall height protection and is fully warranted for 6 years. More info
|
Alabama Senator Helping Make Miracle Field a Reality
from the Troy Messenger
The Miracle Field project, which will create a baseball field for handicap children and adults to play ball, has been under way for about a year. Now, with the help of a $100,000 donation from Sen. Wendall Mitchell (D-Luverne), the Miracle Field will be one-third of the way to becoming a reality. Mitchell said his entire legislative career has been centered on assisting those with disabilities.
More
Pennsylvania Park Hosted Winter Solstice Hike
from the Lancaster New Era
While just about every culture in the world celebrates the winter solstice, mainly because it means the days will begin getting longer and we can begin thinking about the rebirth of spring, citizens celebrated winter on Sunday with a hike through Money Rocks County Park. "Winter is really my favorite season to hike," says Mary Ann Schlegel, of the Lancaster County, Pa., Department of Parks and Recreation Environmental Education Center. "One of the marvelous advantages of winter is you can really see the rocks, the green plants. And it is much easier to walk through the woods." More
Couple Donate $1 Million to Help Create Park
from The Herald Tribune
When Jack and Thelma Urfer arrived in Sarasota County, Fla., 40 years ago in their station wagon, pulling a horse trailer, there was lots of open land. The couple settled in what was then the country, where they built a life and a business selling cars. Last week, they gave the county $1 million to help turn one of the last large areas of green space into a public park. In addition they set up a charitable trust for park maintenance, operations and programs. More
 The world's largest amateur sports and meeting facility is getting the world’s most trusted brand of artificial turf. FieldTurf has been selected by the National Sports Center (NSC) for the field in their indoor soccer facility. The United Soccer League’s (USL) Minnesota Thunder will train at the NSC, making the Thunder the 5th USL team to play and/or practice on FieldTurf. Half of the USL first division uses FieldTurf. More info
|
'Get Outdoors' Mission Taking Kids to Nature
from Florida Today
"Nature deficit disorder" is a growing concern across the country. Coined by Richard Louv in the book Last Child in the Wood, nature deficit disorder refers to the growing disconnect between people and the outdoors. To address these concerns over the disconnect, the "Get Outdoors Florida!" is engaging communities, families and individuals in outdoor experiences to achieve healthier lifestyles and sustain Florida's natural resources. More
See related article: Best Gifts for Kids are Free -- and Outside (Columbus Local News)
National Parks Still Await Tourist Boom
from the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
You might think that fewer airline flights and higher air fares would mean more Americans taking road trips to the national parks. That hasn't happened yet, although National Park Service spokesman David Barna hopes it will. Meanwhile, for those who like their parks less crowded and overrun, this could be a good year to go. More
National Parks May Ease Bike Rules
from the Press Democrat
The Interior Department issued a proposed rule this week that would make it easier for mountain bikers and other cyclists to traverse the back country of national parks. Environmentalists decried the rule, now subject to a 60-day comment period, saying it would spark conflicts between cyclists, who can travel at high speeds, and other visitors, such as hikers and horse riders. More
Companies Drive in Donations to Valparaiso, Ind., Dept. of Parks and Recreation Back to School Soccer Program
from The Times
Brown Tire of Valparaiso, Ind., and Uniroyal Tire have raised donations of over $1270 in both funds and equipment for Valparaiso Department of Parks & Recreation Back to School Soccer Program. This is thanks to the Uniroyal Soccer Program, a grassroots initiative that annually supports youth soccer all over the country. The program has been a major supporter of youth soccer for the past nine years. Alongside its tire dealers, Uniroyal Tire has donated nearly $11 million in funds, including over 818,000 soccer balls, since 2000. More
|
Product Showcase:
Cedar Forest Products
 Creating affordable structures, Cedar Forest Products, manufactures one of the largest selections of pre-engineered, all wood, steel and wood, and all steel structures. With offerings of picnic shelters, gazebos, pavilions, concession stands, restrooms, band shells, kiosks, cabins, lodges, multipurpose buildings and bridges, Cedar Forest Products has the versatility to craft structures that draw visitors back year after year. More info
|
|
|
