Bedford, Va., has expanded its adaptive sports program to enable children with disabilities to participate in basketball, baseball, soccer and softball. Chris Higgins, director of Bedford County Parks and Recreation, says the agency wants to establish leagues for each sport and participate in the Virginia Commonwealth Games.
A plan in Waltham, Mass., to turn the former Walter E. Fernald State School for disabled children into a recreational site has encountered public opposition from residents who don't think it's an appropriate use of the property that housed a school remembered for its abuse of residents. The city bought the 200 acres and 70 buildings in 2014, demolished 24 buildings, restored wetlands and now wants to build a park with an amphitheater, electric train, mini golf course, tennis and pickleball courts, athletic complex and accessible playground.
A new two-acre park in downtown Bethesda, Md., is on the drawing board as the city prepares to purchase the lot for $2.56 million. Ideas for the Eastern Capital Crescent Urban Recreational Park include tennis and pickleball courts, a dog park, a skate park, adult fitness equipment and a playground.
The Greater Evansville Pickleball Group plans to host a tournament at Wesselman Park in Evansville, Ind., even though the 16 courts have yet to be surfaced. Building the courts received some pushback from residents who didn't want to lose the green space, but the city proceeded and is waiting for warmer weather to surface the courts.
Sioux Falls, S.D., plans to acquire the Sanford Tea-Ellis Wellness Center and convert it into a community recreation center with court sports, aquatics and fitness. City officials say the purchase will enable it to meet the National Recreation and Park Association's recommendation for indoor recreation space.
A West Virginia trail camera recently caught an image of the rare Allegheny woodrat, which is listed as a species of concern. Only about 100,000 of the rodents are thought to live in Allegheny forests and are in decline because of habitat loss and predators.
Leaders can make themselves unnecessarily anxious by focusing too much on negative thoughts that lead to all or nothing conclusions or over-generalization of situations that prevent them from seeing opportunities and solutions, writes LaRae Quy. "If we practice a more balanced way of analyzing outcomes daily, it helps to dial down our level of anxiety when confronted with a more threatening situation," Quy notes.
Next week, NRPA celebrates National Volunteer Week! More than 1,000 volunteers from 47 different states and several countries around the world contribute their invaluable time, expertise and passion to a variety of NRPA initiatives and programs. We thank you for all you've done and continue to do. Explore more ways to connect and volunteer here!
