Pool Drain Safety Law Now in Effect
from The Californian
The deadline has arrived for complying with a new federal law requiring businesses and cities with swimming pools and hot tubs to use anti-drowning drain covers to prevent children from getting trapped under water. Operators of these pools have had a year to make the drain safety improvements by today, and if they haven't they can be shut down. Trouble is, the feds don't have near the staffing to check almost 300,000 pools across the nation. More

Yacht Club Members Donate Time at Parks’ Christmas Cruise
from The News Tribune
Andrew Johnston had never been on a holiday cruise before Sunday, and his first time may have been a little unorthodox. Johnston was one of about 200 participants who showed up for Metro Parks Tacoma, Wash.’s, SeaFair Christmas Cruise. Dozens of members of the Tacoma and Day Island yacht clubs donated time on their boats to bring aboard people with disabilities and give them a safe way to cruise the waves. More

Summit Teaches Students Dangers of Smoking
from the Miami Herald
Nearly 200 students ages 12 to 17 recently gathered at the second annual Youth Tobacco Summit in Hialeah, Fla. The event was made possible by the Florida Department of Health, the Miami-Dade County Health Department, the American Cancer Society, City of Hialeah Department of Parks and Recreation, and the Early Prevention and Intervention Youth Program (EPI), a program that helps kids stay out of crime, drugs, and violence. More

Alabama Senator Helping Make Miracle Field a Reality
from the Troy Messenger
The Miracle Field project, which will create a baseball field for handicap children and adults to play ball, has been under way for about a year. Now, with the help of a $100,000 donation from Sen. Wendall Mitchell (D-Luverne), the Miracle Field will be one-third of the way to becoming a reality. Mitchell said his entire legislative career has been centered on assisting those with disabilities. More

Pennsylvania Park Hosted Winter Solstice Hike
from the Lancaster New Era
While just about every culture in the world celebrates the winter solstice, mainly because it means the days will begin getting longer and we can begin thinking about the rebirth of spring, citizens celebrated winter on Sunday with a hike through Money Rocks County Park. "Winter is really my favorite season to hike," says Mary Ann Schlegel, of the Lancaster County, Pa., Department of Parks and Recreation Environmental Education Center. "One of the marvelous advantages of winter is you can really see the rocks, the green plants. And it is much easier to walk through the woods." More

Couple Donate $1 Million to Help Create Park
from The Herald Tribune
When Jack and Thelma Urfer arrived in Sarasota County, Fla., 40 years ago in their station wagon, pulling a horse trailer, there was lots of open land. The couple settled in what was then the country, where they built a life and a business selling cars. Last week, they gave the county $1 million to help turn one of the last large areas of green space into a public park. In addition they set up a charitable trust for park maintenance, operations and programs. More

'Get Outdoors' Mission Taking Kids to Nature
from Florida Today
"Nature deficit disorder" is a growing concern across the country. Coined by Richard Louv in the book Last Child in the Wood, nature deficit disorder refers to the growing disconnect between people and the outdoors. To address these concerns over the disconnect, the "Get Outdoors Florida!" is engaging communities, families and individuals in outdoor experiences to achieve healthier lifestyles and sustain Florida's natural resources. More

National Parks Still Await Tourist Boom
from the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
You might think that fewer airline flights and higher air fares would mean more Americans taking road trips to the national parks. That hasn't happened yet, although National Park Service spokesman David Barna hopes it will. Meanwhile, for those who like their parks less crowded and overrun, this could be a good year to go. More

National Parks May Ease Bike Rules
from the Press Democrat
The Interior Department issued a proposed rule this week that would make it easier for mountain bikers and other cyclists to traverse the back country of national parks. Environmentalists decried the rule, now subject to a 60-day comment period, saying it would spark conflicts between cyclists, who can travel at high speeds, and other visitors, such as hikers and horse riders. More

Companies Drive in Donations to Valparaiso, Ind., Dept. of Parks and Recreation Back to School Soccer Program
from The Times
Brown Tire of Valparaiso, Ind., and Uniroyal Tire have raised donations of over $1270 in both funds and equipment for Valparaiso Department of Parks & Recreation Back to School Soccer Program. This is thanks to the Uniroyal Soccer Program, a grassroots initiative that annually supports youth soccer all over the country. The program has been a major supporter of youth soccer for the past nine years. Alongside its tire dealers, Uniroyal Tire has donated nearly $11 million in funds, including over 818,000 soccer balls, since 2000. More