 |
2003
CRPR Highlights
Prepared
10 Jan 04
|
Centre Region Parks & Recreation Staff
Ronald
J. Woodhead, Director
Beth C. Lee, Rec. Supervisor - Programs & Spec.
Evts.
Jeff R. Hall, Rec. Supervisor - Fitness & Sports
Molly Hetrick, Rec. Supervisor - Nature Center
Todd A. Roth, Aquatics Supervisor
Barbara Lindenbaum, Senior Center Director
Tanya Slashchev, Sr. Center Program Asst.
Diane Ishler, Administrative Assistant |
Greg
Roth, Parks Supervisor
C.J. Sichler, Asst. Parks Supervisor
Kurt Kunka, Park Caretaker
Jeffrey Ballas, Park Caretaker
Gary Sprankle, Park Caretaker
Roger Broschart, Park Caretaker
Pat Hopkins, Staff Assistant
Kathy Woods, Staff Assistant |
10
Jan 04
TO: -
CRPR Board / Centre Regional Recreation Authority
-
James C. Steff, Exec. Director CR-COG
FROM: Ronald
J. Woodhead, Director
We
are fortunate that five municipalities and the State College
Area School District have formally cooperated to provide
recreation and parks since 1969. As a result, our 75,000
residents are able to define “recreation” in
many different ways - sports, family fun, the outdoors, nature
study, aquatics, special events, parades, hiking, fitness,
ice skating, sledding, relaxing, or just plain fun! However,
it is often difficult to determine the real value of these
public services from year to year - the numbers typically
provided focus on programs, and cannot reflect all the numbers
or values of park visits that
occurred and park improvements accomplished
during the year. So in addition to the “numbers” regarding
the 2003 operations of Centre Region Parks and Recreation,
I’d like to provide several highlights that resulted
from the ongoing cooperation of five municipalities for parks
and recreation:
1. Parks
facilities . . . during 2003 the agency maintained
and operated 550 acres at 46 sites in the Centre Region.
2. CRPR
activities remain very popular! The agency processed
30,689 customer financial transactions (registrations & reservations)
with customer revenue totaling $501,714. This includes
the 935 picnic pavilion reservation permits issued for
2003 for the 17 pavilions.
3 Outdoor
pool visits: In spite of a record-setting year for
rain, Welch and Park Forest Community Swimming Pools hosted
a total of 48,070 visits during the 100-day swim season.
4. The Centre
Region Senior Citizen Center hosted a record number
of program visits (17,981). Plans are underway to renovate
and expand the center by 1,700 sq. ft. A p/t Program Assistant
position was added during 2003.
5. The Sports
Illustrated / National Recreation & Park Assn. Sportstown
Award: through a competitive selection process,
the Centre Region was honored as the “Sports Illustrated
50th Anniversary Sportstown” for the state
of Pennsylvania. This recognition highlighted the value
of long-term municipal cooperation in the region.
6. Child
Safety Policy /
Parent & Coach Outreach:
The agency implemented a policy requiring criminal background
checks and child abuse clearances for staff and volunteers
working with youth, and initiated efforts to provide
a formal training program for CRPR youth league coaches
and for CRPR youth league parents - with the support
of the National Alliance for Youth Sports ( www.nays.org ).
The training program will expand in the future.
7. Regional
Cooperation “Premium Grade”: Regional
Cooperation took giant leaps forward in 2003 with the occupancy
of the new COG building (including the CRPR offices), and
with a joint grant application to PA DCNR to acquire municipal
parklands (75-acres spanning two municipalities) for active
recreation activities.
8. During
2003, the CRPR
Website hosted
1,058,479 hits from 105,294 visitors - an average of 288
visitors per day - from 33,109 unique IP addresses.
Centre
Region Parks & Recreation
Review of 2003 Agency Goals
as
of 10 Jan 04 ► =
completed
| Category |
2003
Goal Descriptions |
Operations
|
►Promote
the benefits and availability of local recreation opportunities
in parks and programs.
►Provide
effective, efficient, and safe program & facility
operations (including customer services, parks, senior
center, nature center, aquatics). |
| Staff |
►Pending
Board action, implement the “Child Safety Policy” for
background checks of program staff.
- Complete implementation of uniform clothing for the f/t Parks Maintenance
staff.
►Transition
to the new COG office location (mid-May).
►Continue
to promote donations, sponsorships, private funding,
park partners, and gifts to benefit CRPR facilities,
leagues, & programs (including the nature center
and the Remembrance Tree program).
►Continue
website operations and promotion of the website.
- When available from SportsLog, evaluate options and costs for internet
transactions by customers.
►Assist
municipal staffs with grant applications for municipal
park developments & improvements.
- Pending approval of the 2002 state grant application to purchase
two 75-acre tracts for future parklands, work with the respective municipalities
on funding the park master planning processes.
- Complete and maintain the CRPR Board Inventory & Assessment Project.
►Search & apply
for available grants for improvements, operations, and
for regional capital projects. |
Programs,
Leagues,
Special Events |
►Add
new programs and special events as resources permit.
- Expand “Leisure Guide Partners” efforts to reduce net
costs of seasonal Leisure Guides.
►Implement
the “Program Partner Policy” for cooperative
program operations.
- Develop and implement a “Team Sponsor Policy” for youth
sport league teams.
- Develop the Youth Sports Council to foster greater cooperation & improved
communications with sport organizations and SCASD. This effort also
relates to the planning process for new parklands.
►Implement
the Youth Sports Parent Education Program in conjunction
with other local sport organizations.
►Revitalize & expand
the CRPR youth sport leagues, perhaps in partnership
with other groups. |
| Aquatics |
►Continue
to work for municipal consensus on the plan to update
/ improve the 2 outdoor pools.
-
Improve the computer connections between the 2 pool offices
and the CRPR file server. |
| Facilities |
- Complete
the renovation of 5 leased ballfields at 3 SCASD elementary
schools (Jan. '04 = 60% complete)
►Continue
the incorporation of Thompson Woods Preserve and Stan
Yoder Preserve.
►Continue & improve
safety inspections of park equipment. Work with municipalities
to replace equipment as needed. |
Nature
Center |
►Continue
to work with the PCC program (an application to extend
the program for a 3rd consecutive year
(through June ‘05) was submitted to the state in Jan. 2004).
►Continue
and offer new programs & special events to increase
visitations and visibility. Develop the “CRPR Explorer
Series at MM Nature Center.”
►Promote
facility rentals (barn & pavilion) and group programs.
- Parking lots construction; landscape plantings, connecting pathways.
- Construct the demonstration "Kitchen Garden."
- Install "Marsh View" windows in the barn; replicate former barn air
vents.
- Complete the entire boardwalk w/ recognition signs, install bird
blind structure (s).
►Complete
renovation of the former garage into staff & PCC
HQ.
- Artificial fen: develop engineering drawings, apply for wetland permit,
proceed w/ construction.
- Wetlab: develop construction drawings and proceed.
- Develop, purchase, and install property signs (interpretive, regulatory
and informational).
►Continue
to seek funding and program partners, interns, donations & grant
funds.
►Establish
strategy and develop preliminary construction plans for
MMNC Capital Campaign. |
Senior
Center |
►Transition
to off-site CRPR office operations in 2003. Recruit
and train the new p/t Program Assistant.
►Continue
promotion of Senior Center, Senior Citizen Club, and
CALL programs.
►As
a result of increased program visits, explore the feasibility
of expanding the Senior Center into the current CRPR
office area in partnership with Centre County Office
of Aging and the CALL organization. |
| Aquatics |
2002 |
2003 |
| Youth
Swim Lesson Registrations |
1,724 |
1,315 |
| Adult & Special
Program Registrations (Aerobics, Adult Lessons, Swim
Teams, Kayaking, Triple-O Lessons, Diving, CPR, Life-guarding) |
522 |
578 |
| Indoor
Pool Admissions - HS Nat. |
2,707 |
1,320 |
| Outdoor
Pool Passes - Welch & PF |
2,294 |
2,004 |
| Outdoor
Pool Visits - Welch & PF (for recreation, instruction,
competition) |
66,451 |
48,070 |
Total: |
73,698 |
53,287 |
| Adult
Sports & Fitness |
2002 |
2003 |
| Adult
League Participants (Volleyball, Basketball, Softball,
Outdoor Volleyball) |
841 |
920 |
| Adult
Sport Club Visits (Volleyball, Badminton) |
1,141 |
1,136 |
| Adult
Fitness Class Participants |
443 |
325 |
| Adult
Tennis Lesson Participants |
83 |
74 |
Total |
2,508 |
2,455 |
| Youth
Sports |
2002 |
2003 |
| Seasonal
Sport Participants (Winter & Summer Basketball, Softball,
Soccer, Field Hockey) |
810 |
658 |
| Gymnastics
Participants |
182 |
153 |
| Judo
Participants |
55 |
49 |
| Tennis
Participants |
226 |
330 |
| Wrestling
Participants |
18 |
16 |
| Track & Cross
Country Participants |
482 |
188 |
Total |
1,691 |
1,336 |
| Day
Camps / Playgrounds |
2002 |
2003 |
| Summer
Day Camp Participants |
1,096 |
771 |
| Supervised
Playground Participants |
80
registrants at 2 sites |
135
registrants at 4 sites |
Total |
1,176 |
906 |
| Millbrook
Marsh Nature Center |
2002 |
2003 |
| MMNC
Program Registrations |
578 |
780 |
| Other
Visits (School & Day Care Programs, Camps, Group
Programs) |
2,867 |
3,255 |
| MMNC
Facility Rental Visits |
2,334 |
1,164 |
Total |
5,779 |
5,199 |
| Centre
Region Senior Center |
2002 |
2003 |
| Noon-time
Meals |
2,354 |
2,189 |
| Program
Visits |
16,218 |
17,981 |
| Senior
Citizen “Picnic in the Park” |
56 |
40 |
| Centre
County Senior Games |
260
participants in 9 events
(325
for the luncheon) |
268
participants in 9 events
(289
for the luncheon) |
Total |
18,888 |
20,478 |
| Special
Programs & Events |
2002 |
2003 |
Ticket
Sales
(Amusement
Parks & Ski Resorts) |
1,956 |
1,706 |
| Pavilion
Reservations |
836
permits |
935
permits |
| Sport
Pack Rentals |
55 |
44 |
| Dance
Lessons (Ballroom,
Square, Round) |
1,861 |
1,828 |
| State
College Area Municipal Band Concerts (Audience) |
1,425 |
1,645 |
| Tree
Trimming for the Birds |
12 |
35 |
| Easter
Egg Hunt |
450 |
500 |
| July
4th Kids on Wheels Parade |
Approx.
250 |
Approx.
260 |
| Art-in-the-Parklet
Craft Tent (for Cent. PA Festival of Arts) |
500+ |
500+ |
| Halloween
Costume Parade |
1,500 |
1,600 |
| Dark
in the Park Storytelling |
Cancelled
- Weather |
90 |
| Spring
Spruce Up Day |
344 |
500 |
| United
Way Day Of Caring |
150
at 7 sites |
128
at 9 sites |
| Skywatch
@ Tudek Park |
85
(1 watch) |
190
(2 watches) |
Total |
9,424 |
9,961 |
. |
