Let it Shine
from the Gillette News Record
For Wes Johnson, Gillette, Wyo.’s Christmas lighting guru, holiday magic doesn’t just spring from the ground, fully formed. It comes together in a Campbell County, Wyo., Parks and Recreation warehouse, one piece of engineering work at a time. A radial arm saw slices into a metal bar, casting a shower of sparks over the work floor. A cluster of electric snowflakes sits propped up against a pile of plastic tubs. Stretching across half the room lies this year’s centerpiece: a 31-foot ladder with elf silhouettes placed every few rungs. Now in its third year, Parks and Recreation’s Holiday Festival of Lights is finally growing to match its creator’s ambitions. More

Athletes See Field in Whole New Light
from the Marietta Daily Journal
After losing a hard-fought second-round playoff game the night before, Harrison High School football players - along with players from the school's lacrosse team - awoke early Saturday morning to install landscaping for the new special-needs athletic field at the Acworth Sports Complex in Acworth, Ga. The field is said to be one of only a few in the state designed for special-needs children. More

Nonprofit Looks to Improve Parks, Boost Arts Scene
from the Detroit Free Press
A new nonprofit aims to improve the township's parks and give Redford, Mich., residents more opportunities to enjoy - and participate in - the local arts scene. Organizers of the Redford Parks and Art Conservancy say they're planning to tackle projects ranging from making parks more accessible for disabled people, to hosting an arts festival, to installing large "skatable" park sculptures for skateboarders. More

Communal Gardens in Miami Beach are Next 'Green' Thing
from the Miami Herald
For two years, Rosie Betancourt has been able to grow her own tomatoes, lettuce and herbs -- even though, like most people who live in South Beach condos, she has no backyard. Betancourt is one of the lucky few who can reap the fruits of their labor at Miami Beach's Joseph Villari Victory Garden, a small slice of community vegetable and herb patches sandwiched between two concrete buildings. More

Ohio Sports Leagues for Adults, Kids Shrink as Economy Slides
from the Columbus Dispatch
As a youth soccer coach in Groveport, Ohio, Kyle Lund is always curious when one of his players drops off the team roster. Sometimes, he'll bump into the parents at the grocery store. "I say, 'I didn't see your kid,' and they say, 'Well, look at the price of this bread. It's doubled.' People are asking, 'Do we do this, or do we take piano?'" Lund said. "Typically, recreation is the first thing to go." It's part of a larger trend Lund said he notices as director of Groveport's recreation department. Youth soccer enrollment is down. Basketball enrollment, down. Adult softball, the same. More

More than Child's Play
from Recreation Management
Play is not what it used to be. And by many accounts, that's a good thing. In recent years America's playgrounds, playground designers and communities are discovering there is more to consider than safety, more to achievement than fitness and more people who need to play besides children. From the philosophical underpinnings to the nuts-and-bolts manufacturing, play and play spaces are undergoing important changes in an effort to address today's cultural challenges. More

Government Technology: Rules for the Web
from American City & County
In the late 1990s, as governments began offering services online, many struggled to integrate sometimes decades-old processes with modern technology. As government officials and staff members have grown more comfortable with e-government, and residents have come to expect online services, many cities and counties and their leaders now are focused on ensuring that those services consistently follow public policy. More

ODNR Awards $1.7M to Improve Outdoor Recreation
from WHIO-TV
The Ohio Department of Natural Resources (ODNR) Division of Real Estate and Land Management will provide grant funding to develop and improve outdoor recreation opportunities in 58 Ohio counties. ODNR has awarded a total of $1,719,575 to 90 local parks through the 2008 NatureWorks Grant Program. The program provides up to 75 percent reimbursement assistance to local government subdivisions (i.e., townships, villages, cities, counties, park districts, joint recreation districts, and conservancy districts) for the acquisition, development and rehabilitation of recreational areas. More

GED Students Will Work on Trail
from the Richmond Times Dispatch
Some Chesterfield County, Va., GED students are part of a community partnership with Chesterfield County Parks and Recreation. The students have taken over upkeep of the Government Center Trail across from the Chesterfield Technical Center. More

City Parks Attempting to Help the Slow Response to 911 Calls
from News Channel 5
Getting into Nashville, Tenn., parks can be confusing for emergency personnel. Street crossing signs are visible, but the access points for paramedics are not marked. For months, Metro agencies have been working together to fix the problem. They've been gathering data, mapping out park trails and asking questions. More

Lie Back, Log On, and See the World
from the Boston Globe
Google Earth might be the best thing ever to happen to armchair travelers. The free software makes it easy to spend hours spanning the globe, swooping in between the walls of the Grand Canyon or soaring high above the pyramids of Egypt. The program is an ideal tool to explore the great outdoors. You can select the Parks and Recreation layer to locate city, state, and national parks, and the Golf layer to find nearby links. More