Parks & Recreation

[From my July 29 article in the Colchester Bulletin]

This past Monday marked the 20th anniversary of the landmark legislation that ushered in a new era of equal access for a large segment of our population. On July 26, 1990 Congress signed into law the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), which sought to ensure that disabled individuals have every opportunity to live, work, learn and play as the rest of the community. Over the years, it has had a significant and positive impact on how parks and recreation services are delivered and facilities are developed, opening the doors to increased health benefits for a whole new audience.

This far reaching law covers five areas: employment, public services, public accommodations, telecommunications and a miscellaneous category covering a number of areas. In one form or another, each of these sections has had impacted our field, with many examples right here in Colchester.

Perhaps one of most well-known and beneficial effects of this law is to create a level playing field with regards to the hiring process. Since the implementation of the ADA, employers are no longer permitted to discriminate based on disability when selecting candidates. If a potential employee is capable of performing the essential job tasks with reasonable accommodations, then the employer is required to make such adjustments. These accommodations can include such things as making a work site accessible, modifying a piece of equipment, or providing readers or interpreters.

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[From my July 22 article in the Colchester Bulletin]

As proud as I am of our department’s people, parks and programs, one of the things I love about Parks & Recreation is its near universality. Just about anywhere you go you can tap into the local system for some affordable family fun.

This week my extended family and I are vacationing in North Carolina’s Outer Banks. While twenty of us (including ten children) in one house can be a bit crazy, it’s also a great opportunity to reconnect. So far, some of the best times we’ve had have been taking advantage of what the local area has to offer.

Of course, one of the key reasons people come to areas like this is the beach. People do not often give it much thought, but the care and maintenance of a beach can be one of the most demanding tasks of a shoreline community. A close second is surely the multitude of sports fields that are scattered throughout a community, such as the fourteen that now constitute Colchester’s athletic facilities.

Yesterday, we took the whole gaggle of kids to the nearby state park, where they had a free program run by friendly and knowledgeable park rangers teaching the kids about animals indigenous to the sand dunes. They learned how to identify the animals by their tracks and even did castings of the footprints that they could take home as souvenirs. We plan to return tomorrow for one of their shoreline programs to find out about the local aquatic life on the Roanoke Sound side of the area.

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[From my July 15 article in the Colchester Bulletin]

This weekend Colchester is going to the dogs! Well, at least a couple of acres are. On Sunday, the long awaited Colchester Dog Park officially opens to the public. After more than two years of hard work by the dedicated committee, their dream has come to fruition. Of course, this was no small feat.

This Sunday will be a culmination of all of the work, celebrating the park’s completion with grand opening ceremonies and a pet expo, sponsored by Mr. Lockout and others. Beginning at 11:00am, activities will include a ribbon cutting, memorial unveiling (recognizing the generous contribution in the name of Scott Gagnon), a hike led by the Colchester Land Trust, food, giveaways, vendor booths, and more. And, of course, dogs will be permitted to run off leash for the first time in town in the only approved park for this activity.

The new dog park actually sits on a former landfill at 89 Old Amston Road – on the left before arriving at the Transfer Station. It was determined to be a safe and appropriate reuse of what is referred to as a “brownfield” (a previous industrial site).

The new site is freshly landscaped and redeveloped, with a gravel driveway and parking area, nearly a third of a mile of fencing, a memorial brick walkway, plantings, a walkway to the Colchester Spur of the Air Line Trail, signage, and more. In line with “best practices”, handlers bringing their dog to the park have their choice of two areas: one for large dogs and one for small dogs. While small dogs are welcome in either area, handlers are discouraged from releasing larger dogs in the smaller area, for dog safety.

All of the usage guidelines at the park are geared toward protecting the safety of the dogs, handlers and other visitors. The one overarching rule is the town ordinance that requires that all dogs in town be licensed and vaccinated – which obviously would apply at the dog park as well. Other guidelines include: cleaning up after dogs; refraining from bringing sick or aggressive dogs to the park; supervising the dogs; and the like. Ultimately, by State statute the dog owners are responsible for any damage or injury caused by their dogs. However, neither the dog park committee nor the town wants to see anyone get hurt, and encourage adherence to the posted guidelines.

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[From my July 8 article in the Colchester Bulletin]

My favorite time of year is back: the Colchester Summer Concerts on the Green sponsored by Rockville Bank! The six-show series kicks off this Sunday on the Town Green and does not slow down until it wraps up on August 15, barring any rain make-ups. While the entertainers take the stage at 5:30pm each week, we invite you to come on down at 5:00pm to enjoy some fun, family activities as well as the on-site cookout.

The majority of this year’s cookouts will be served up by our very own Summer Day Camp staff, as they volunteer their time to raise money to help support scholarships for children to attend camp. Their menu will include the standard barbecue fare (burgers, dogs, chips, soda, etc); however, in our department’s effort to offer healthy alternatives the menu will also include chicken, yogurt, water and fruit.

The only week that camp won’t be serving is the August 1 show, when Colchester Cougars Youth Football will return for their annual cookout. Regardless of who is cooking, the prices are always reasonable for feeding your family, with the profits going to a great cause.

While most of the pre-concert activities will be a surprise throughout the summer, one that you should mark down on your calendar is the annual favorite Teddy Bear Parade. On Sunday, July 18, kids are invited to gather at the gazebo by 5:00pm to register their cherished stuffed animals. Shortly thereafter, they will march through the crowd while our friends from the Colchester Senior Center give out awards in a wide array of categories, such as friendliest, furriest and most lovable.

Of course, the main feature of the concerts is the top-shelf entertainment that takes the stage each week. And this year’s line-up is no exception.

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[From my July 1 article in the Colchester Bulletin]

Today officially kicks off the 25th anniversary of National Park and Recreation Month, which has been celebrated across the country each July since its inception in 1985. This year’s theme is “Celebrate, Advocate, Recreate!” and I believe that each of those actions is critical, perhaps now more than ever.

With unprecedented budget shortfalls across the country, regular budget “trimming” has turned into massive cutting of entire programs and services. Often, the brunt of these cuts has been taken by parks at the local, county and state levels. The stories of entire park systems being shut down and crucial services being eliminated abound. From New York to Iowa to California, massive numbers of state parks are being closed. Here in Connecticut we were spared a major increase in park entrance fees just prior to their implementation due to the hard work of many concerned citizens.

The irony of the situation is that it is during times like these that our parks are the most vital. Just when families can least afford to travel to exotic or remote locations to experience and enjoy nature, their local public spaces are locking the gates and closing up shop. Luckily, there is a renewed national movement to save parks and conserve open space.

In April, President Obama convened a meeting of stakeholders on the issue, bringing together parks and recreation professionals, government leaders, and numerous other experts to begin the development of a far reaching plan to address conservation. With the last such effort occurring over 100 years ago during Teddy Roosevelt’s presidency, it was long overdue.

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