Parks & Recreation

[From my Feb. 26 column in the Colchester Bulletin]

Everyone needs their own little slice of heaven on earth. By that I mean a special place where you can unwind, relax and feel at peace. Stop for a moment and just picture it in your head – I’d guess you’re already feeling a bit more at ease, with a smile starting to roll across your face.

While this special place will probably be a bit different for every person, I’m willing to bet that an overwhelming majority of people are imagining something outdoors. Maybe it’s a picturesque beach, or a thick forest, or a mountain range. I’m right there with you; any of those could be extremely soothing.

But let me ask you this: Do you have easy access to that location? If you needed or wanted, could you go there today?

If the answer is no, you should make it a goal to fix that. Of course, it would be great to move to that location – just pack up and make a change. However, that’s not always a realistic option. Instead, search your local surroundings for that perfect place.

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[From my Feb. 19 column in the Colchester Bulletin]

If you’re a fan of the hit TV show “The Office”, chances are you’ve started to see some of the promotional spots that the show’s producers are running for a similarly styled show they’ve developed. Debuting in April, “Parks & Recreation” will hit the airwaves and throw a spotlight on our corner of municipal government.

Featuring “Saturday Night Live” veteran, Amy Poehler, and other comedy stars, there is no doubt the show will be funny. What my colleagues and I are wondering is just how this will affect our field.

According to NBC, “‘Parks and Recreation’…is a new mockumentary that looks at the exciting world of local government. The documentary cameras follow Leslie Knope…, a mid-level bureaucrat in the Parks and Recreation Department of Pawnee, Indiana. In an attempt to beautify her town -- and advance her career -- Leslie takes on what should be a fairly simple project: help local nurse Ann Logan…take on defensive bureaucrats, selfish neighbors, real estate developers, and single-issue fanatics -- whose weapons are lawsuits, the jumble of city codes, and the very democratic process that Leslie loves so much.”

What has made “The Office” so funny is its humor at the expense of others. Taking place in the generic office of a fictitious paper company, it really could be any office in the country. By pinpointing this new show in a Parks & Recreation department, however, viewers will no doubt be comparing the show and its characters to their local government officials.

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[From my Feb. 12 column in the Colchester Bulletin]

As our staff attempts to demonstrate each day, everything we do, from organizing programs and events to maintaining parks and grounds, is geared toward meeting and exceeding the needs and expectations of our community members. Nothing gives us greater joy than seeing people participate and recreate in our parks and programs, and watching them grow as a result.

A perfect example of a family that makes the most of what our department has to offer is the Kranc (pronounced Kranz) family. Andrea, Herman, Zachary, Chelsea and Matthew are regulars in many programs.

Zack, the oldest child, has virtually grown up in our programs, participating in Start Smart Basketball five years ago – the furthest back our current records go. Over the years, Zack has taken part in after school programs, such as Krafty Kids and Captain Cook, as well as instructional classes including guitar and dance lessons. As he has gotten older, he has enjoyed participating in our annual Hershey’s Track & Field Games held each spring. His summers have been filled with fun and adventure at our day camp, and, more recently, in our Community Theatre Children’s Summer Workshop.

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[From my Feb. 5 column in the Colchester Bulletin]

Red and yellow and green and brown and scarlet and black and ochre and peach and… Oh, sorry – I was just practicing for the upcoming production of Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat being put on by the Colchester Community Theatre (CCT). Yup, I’m in the show this year, and enjoying every minute of it.

To me, the best part of the whole thing is that both the show and the organization truly live and breathe the ‘community’ part of the group’s mission. While there is an incredible amount of talent in the show each and every year (my appearance not withstanding), they do not sacrifice their goal of bringing the town together through theater.

I am continually struck by the number of families participating in the show, with many parent/child pairs gracing the stage, and even an entire family of four. A large percentage of the twenty-plus kids in the show are singing and dancing alongside a parent, who contribute to the approximately fifty teens and adults that round out the cast. Actually, I first got involved last year when my daughter wanted to try out but was nervous to go alone. Luckily, we both made the cut and are back for more this season.

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