New York Council Members Introduce Playground Safety Legislation
from the Brooklyn Eagle
Brooklyn, N.Y., Council Members Bill de Blasio and Jessica Lappin introduced legislation in the Council to protect children from the dangers of hot mats at city playgrounds during the peak summer months. The black, tiled mats underneath playground equipment can reach temperatures more than 166 degrees Fahrenheit. On hot summer days, these mats can pose a considerable danger to children. More

Rosenberg, Texas, Offers Memorial Tree Program
from the Houston Chronicle
More than eight years ago, Rosenberg, Texas, city officials approved a Memorial Tree program to create a “Living Legacy” and perpetuate the spirit of remembrance while benefiting Seabourne Creek Park. The Parks and Recreation Department oversees the program that gives individuals, families, organizations, or corporations the opportunity to memorialize and honor individuals or events through the planting of a hard wood tree within the park. More

North Carolina Campers to Get Help in April
from the Winston-Salem Journal
Planning a trip to camp at a state park during a popular time of the year has long been an exercise in chance-taking for North Carolinians. In some cases, people have loaded their car with kids and gear and driven three hours to a state park only to find that all the campsites have been claimed. Beginning April 22, a reservations system will replace the state's first-come, first-served system of assigning campsites, cabins and shelters at its 37 parks. More

Sci-fi Garbage Cans Arrive at Connecticut Park
from the Greenwich Time
Greenwich Point in Greenwich, Conn., now has three garbage cans that sense when they are full and then compact trash to make room for more. Although this sounds like science fiction, they are real, and are called Big Belly solar-powered trash cans. Each has an electronic eye that indicates the receptacle has reached its target level, and the solar-powered compactor, which is run on a battery, turns on, compacting the trash to 20 percent of its normal size. More

North Carolina Citizens are 'Hooked on Walking'
from the Sun Journal
While walking down B Street with her husband and about 30 others, Wanda Snell said she had her first chance Saturday to explore the town. Snell and her fellow walkers have made a habit of exploring Craven County, N.C., parks, streets and neighborhoods as participants in the "Hooked on Walking" club. More

Couples Hustle to Book Seattle Parks for 2009 Weddings
from the Seattle Times
The sky was still inky black when Eric Kinyon pulled into the parking lot, determined to tackle his most important New Year's resolution. But wait: Was that someone already ahead of him in line? Some hit the gym Friday, the first business day of this new year. Others hit the mall. Kinyon and dozens of other soon-to-be-marrieds got in line or hit the phones to book their 2009 weddings at Seattle public parks. More

Starting the Year with a Jump in the Lake
from the Battle Creek Enquirer
Peer pressure, tradition and insanity combined New Year’s Day to bring 57 swimmers out for an icy jump into Goguac Lake in Calhoun County, Mich. Participants, ranging in age from 10 to 63, took turns hopping into the 38-degree water in the New Year's Day Splash, sponsored for the sixth year by the Battle Creek, Mich., Parks and Recreation Department. More

Seniors Gearing up for Softball Season
from TC Palm
With next month's opening pitch, the Jupiter, Fla., Parks and Recreation Department's Men's 55- and-over softball league will be stepping to the plate for its 22nd and most successful season. Preseason pickup games at Jupiter Community Park have already drawn up to 129 players and by the time the regular winter season starts, they could have 150 on the rosters, said league commissioner Marvin Maizel. More

Los Angeles County Launches YouTube Channels
from Government Video
The County of Los Angeles Department of Parks and Recreation recently launched its own YouTube channel to share information and create a digital media initiative. “Our mission to create community through people, parks, and programs can now also be carried out by creating a new parks and recreation community through social networking,” said Russ Guiney, director of the Department of Parks and Recreation. More

Suicides in National Parks Increase in 2008
from The Associated Press via ABC News
Park officials estimate people made more than 274 million visits to the country's 391 national park units last year. The vast majority are intent on seeing breathtaking vistas, wildlife in its natural habitat or places where history was made, such as the Gettysburg battlefield. More