Department of Parks Director s Report Thursday, February 2, 2012 HIGHLIGHTS Focus on the CIP for Parks Citizens Provide First Input on 2012 PROS Update Sudden loss of Trade Shop Supervisor Mike Fink In-Service Training Sessions for Department Staff Internal Recycling Committee Appointed Maryland Green Schools to Participate in Parks Arbor Day Poster Contest Staff Share Expertise at Upcoming Conferences Summer Camp Registration Now Open Mid-Atlantic Tree Climbing Championship to be held at Wheaton Regional Park Hockey Season in Full Swing at Ice Rinks Park Police Participate in 10 th Annual Keith Joseph Basketball Tournament Leadership Course, In-Service Training and Taser Training for Park Police 100+ Volunteers Collect 190 Bags of Trash on Martin Luther King, Jr. Day of Service Park Projects Update: Garrett Park Estates Local Park, FEMA Claim, Dennis Avenue, Flora Lane Pedestrian Bridge, Sligo Creek Parkway, and Tree Crews EVENTS February 1 --Weed Warriors, Capital Crescent Trail, 10 am -11:30 am February 1 -- In-Service Training, Lake Needwood history: tornados, flooding, and dredging 8:30 am 11:30 am, Brookside Gardens auditorium February 3 Parks Quarterly Managers Meeting and Service Awards, 8 am 11 am February 6 Countywide Recreation Advisory Board, 7 pm 9 pm, MCRD HQ February 4, 11, 18, 25 A Walk in Father Henson s Footsteps Guided Tours in honor of Black History Month, Josiah Henson Special Park, noon-4:00 pm February 7- Weed Warriors, Ovid Hazen Wells Recreational Park, 9 am-11 am February 7, 8, 9 County Council CIP public hearings February 8 Weed Warriors, Underground Railroad Trail, 10 am-noon February 10 Sweetheart Skate, Wheaton Ice Arena, 8 pm-10 pm February 11 Sweetheart Skate, Cabin John Ice Rink, 8:30 pm-10:30pm February 11 Weed Warriors, Little Falls Trail, 8 am-10 am February 17 Teen Sk8 at Wheaton Ice: Mardi Gras Sk8, 8 pm 10 pm February 17 & 18 Registration for Ice Skating Winter Classes Opens February 18 -- 40 th Anniversary, Meadowside Nature Center (drop-in events) 1 pm 4 pm February 20 Park Play Days at Cabin John Ice Rink & Wheaton Ice Arena, 9 am 5 pm February 20 Family Day at Black Hill, Black Hill Visitor Center, 1 pm 4 pm February 24 Green Matters Symposium: Urban Farming Pioneers, Brookside Gardens, 8:30 am 4:00 pm February 24 Teen Sk8 at Wheaton Ice: Tacky Sweater Sk8, 8 pm 10 pm
February 25 Lyrical Rhythms: The Sounds of Freedom A Live Poetry Event, Josiah Henson Special Park, 3 pm 4 pm February 26 Maple Sugar Festival, Brookside Nature Center, 10 am 4 pm NEWS We are preparing responses to County Council staff questions regarding the impact of the County Executive s proposed cuts to the FY 13-18 Capital Improvements Program (CIP), in anticipation of the Council s CIP public hearings next week and the PHED Committee work session on the Parks CIP on Monday, February 13. Over 80 citizens attended two open houses held last week to comment on the Park, Recreation, and Open Space (PROS) plan required by the State of Maryland every six years. Thoughtful suggestions on how to deliver park and recreation facilities and lands included: combined community and aquatic centers, trails, natural resource areas, dog parks, community gardens, picnic shelters and areas, cultural resources, skateboarding, cricket, outdoor volleyball, civic greens, community open space, athletic fields, playgrounds, tennis, basketball, and nature centers. Recurring suggestions: focus on the right kind/amount of open space in an increasingly urban county; renovate what we already have; and provide capacity through new construction. We are folding community input into a Staff Draft for the Board's review on March 15. A violent early-morning traffic accident on Tuesday, January 17, took the life of Trade Shop Supervisor Mike Fink. Popular and professional, his high-quality work (especially his carpentry skills) was greatly valued by all of us. Mr. Fink is survived by his loving family, including his wife and two children and his brother (who also works for the Commission,) and many friends. We have set up a memorial donation account at the M-NCPPC Credit Union in his name, and many staff attended his recent funeral services and mourned with all those he left behind. We deeply appreciate the Planning Board s moment of silence in his honor on January 19. I attended a special signing ceremony in Annapolis on January 19 for the Maryland Partnership for Children in Nature, where I was named a member of the new Statewide Leadership Team, and Stephanie Oberle was named to the steering committee. The ceremony for the new Statewide Partnership agreement included DNR Secretary John Griffin, Agriculture Secretary Buddy Hance, Mary Cary for the State Superintendent of Education, and others. Link with photos: http://www.dnr.state.md.us/dnrnews/pressrelease2012/012012.asp The Management Services Division and the In-Service Training Committee are presenting eight workshops for Parks staff each Wednesday morning during January and February. Programs include: o Bring Your Best Self to Work o Hit the Ground Running: What It Takes To Run the Best Park System in the World Ours! o Retirement: What s Your Game Plan? o Lake Needwood s History: Tornados and Flooding and Dredging o Pride, Perception & the Paparazzi: Public Image Stories o Work it Out at Work- Conflict Management o Our Historic and Cultural Resources
o What Did You Do When The Earth Quaked? Emergency Preparedness, Safety Concerns and Security Threats We appointed an internal Recycling Committee to enhance and improve the recycling efforts that CQI Associates helped initiate, to include: increased recycling, educational programs and opportunities, closer coordination with the County s Division and Solid Waste Services, visitation of Recycling Centers, and County Recycling Days inclusion. Staff had a booth at the Summer Camp Expo at White Flint Mall. Hundreds of parents and children were on hand and talked to Parks staff about upcoming summer camps, asked questions and took information about camps and registration. We shared the space with the Recreation Department, who had been unable to book a table for this event. I attended the jam-packed second Come Play in the Parks information session on Saturday, January 14, at Wheaton Ice Arena. A number of our facilities and programs set up interesting displays to demonstrate the many wonderful things available in Montgomery Parks. Parents and children loved the tent from Little Bennett Campground, the putting green from the South Germantown Driving Range, mini-tennis lessons from Pauline Betz-Addie Tennis Center, the paddle boat, kayak and canoe from Black Hill Boats, spider plants from Brookside Gardens, animal hides from Brookside Nature Center and more. Parks staff joined representatives from the Smith Center, WSSC, DEP, Montgomery County Recycling Center and other local science/environmental agencies at the Waters Landing Elementary School Science and Environmental Center. Staff prepared hands-on information on Aquatic Insects and the Enviroscapes watershed model. Approximately 150 parents and students attended the event. The Boy Scouts held their annual Klondike Derby -- a skills and camping event-- at the Little Bennett Campground on January 20 th -22 nd. The event attracted approximately 750 scouts from around the region, plus friends and family. Urban Forestry Staff presented our new Tree Stewards Volunteer Program to the Forest Conservation Advisory Committee on January 17. The committee is interested in promoting this acclaimed volunteer program more widely. Parks Urban Forestry staff launched the 2012 Arbor Day Poster Contest, open to schools qualified as, or applying to be, Maryland Green Schools. Children in grades 3-5 are eligible to make a poster with the theme The Benefits of Trees in Montgomery County. The school with the winning poster will host the Montgomery Parks Arbor Day Celebration at their school on April 24, 2012. Priscilla Taylor, Program and Facility manager at Brookside Nature Center, will be presenting Parks Your Partner in Environmental Education at the Maryland Association for Environmental & Outdoor Education conference in Ocean City February 9-12.
Staff participated in the Maryland Recreation and Park Association (MRPA) Winter General Membership Meeting on January 25 in Annapolis, which focused on Success in Social Media. Several Parks staff will be teaching or sharing their expertise at the MRPA Conference in Ocean City April 2-4. Topics will include the Implementation of a Commission-Wide Enterprise Asset Management System; Meeting the ADA Mandate; and Boosting Morale in Tough Times. It is not too early to register, and is an excellent opportunity to network and learn from other parks systems facing similar challenges throughout the State. Registration for Montgomery Parks unique Summer Camps began January 9, with nearly 400 registrations so far. New offerings include four overnight camps, such as the Family Canoe Camp. The Nature Film School Camp filled the first day of registration; several other camps are almost full. Customers can sign up on a waitlist for any full courses. Although the weather is too cold for the Cabin John and Wheaton Trains to run, the locations continue to be popular party rental locations. Since November, more than 15 customers have booked parties at one of the train stations, resulting in more than $2,500 in revenue. The Mid-Atlantic Chapter of the International Society of Arboriculture will hold its annual Tree Climbing Championship Competition at Wheaton Regional Park on April 14. This all-day event attracts arborists who compete in categories including tree climbing and tree rescue. Parks staff participated in this event previously, with tree climbers Herb White and Mark Tremper placing well in their categories. Wheaton Ice continues to be a fun, safe destination for Montgomery County teens on Friday nights. In less than a month, nearly 500 teens have attended the Friday Night Teen Sk8. Upcoming nights will feature themes such as the Super Bowl and Valentine s Day. Hockey season is in full swing. The Cabin John Ice Rink hosts three consecutive high school hockey games each Friday night. The first game slot is held by Georgetown Preparatory High School. The second and third slots by the Montgomery Hockey Conference, with several Montgomery County High School hockey teams. Games bring in anywhere between 50-300 spectators per game. For many games, both Park Police and parent volunteers are on hand to ensure the safety and well-being of spectators. Wheaton Ice Arena hosted its annual Winter Ice Show on January 14. Nearly 400 spectators watched in awe the 24 single skaters, 12 pairs/groups and 2 synchronized teams that participated. We have national champions who learn and practice there. Northern Parks Division will hold its annual NPDES staff training Friday morning, February 10 th, at our Shady Grove training center. Contract negotiations with our two unions and management are continuing.
Parks staff met with the Athletic Director and Baseball Coach from Georgetown University on the use and maintenance practices for Shirley Povich Field at Cabin John Regional Park for their upcoming season. Parks staff met with the Athletic Director and Business Manager from Blair High School and Local Park to discuss an interim agreement, fencing, and netting. Park Police Updates Park Police staff held the 10 th Annual Keith Joseph Basketball Tournament on January 23. Six teams from various recreation centers participated in this year s tournament, an all-day event that brings together youths from several community centers with police officers for a day of fun, food and competition. Congratulations to Wheaton Community Center, the winners of the tournament! Keith s widow Anita, his son Aubrey and his mother-in-law were all in attendance. Anita stated her appreciation to all for keeping the tournament going after Keith s death. Park Police Officers completed a full day of In-Service Training in December. Topics covered included domestic violence, FBI Terrorist Screening Center, post-traumatic stress, parole and probation, ethics/social networking, and law updates. A Taser Recertification Class was also held in December. Congratulations to Lieutenant Mike Meixsell and Assistant Chief Antonio DeVaul on graduating from the first Session of the Maryland Police and Correctional Training Commissions Foundations of Leadership Executive Course. Officer Emily Murphy obtained a Preliminary Breath Test (PBT) unit from Mothers Against Drunk Driving. The PBT will help officers in the field identify and arrest drunk drivers and combat underage drinking. Officers John Polk and Emily Murphy participated in the interdepartmental DWI Holiday Task Force, which resulted in 317 arrests for drivers under the influence of alcohol or drugs and another 270 gallons of beer confiscated from underage drinkers from mid-november through New Year s Eve. The Park Police Special Operations Section provided horses for crowd control at the University of Maryland vs. Duke game January 25. The Park Police continues to follow up on homeless encampments and party spots, dog-off-leash complaints and bite reports, and have begun a new round of investigations into several possible encroachment violations on Commission property. Volunteer Services Office Several groups participated in volunteer activities for the Martin Luther King, Jr. Day of Service: o Turkey Branch/Matthew Henson Trail Cleanup - 50 volunteers worked with the Rock Creek Conservancy Stream Team and spent three hours removing 135 bags of trash, 1,000 lbs. of loose junk, 18 tires, and approximately 400 plastic bags.
o Mill Run Creek, Rock Creek Regional Park 30 volunteers worked with the Rock Creek Conservancy Stream Team and in two hours removed 25 bags of trash. o Beret Neighborhood Conservation Area in Aspen Hill 25 volunteers from the youth group So What Else spent over 2 hours removing 30 bags of trash. o Volunteers at Montgomery County s Martin Luther King Day event made tons of paper snowflakes and leaf decorations to be used at Brookside Nature Center. Park Projects Updates Complete: o Garrett Park Estates Local Park A newly constructed and sodded ball field overlaying the geothermal pipes at Garrett Park elementary school is complete. o A claim for $36,117 was submitted to FEMA in response to damage sustained from Hurricane Irene. In Progress: o Dennis Avenue DEP staff are working on a project that passes through the Sligo Creek Parkway corridor, part of a fast-track Low Impact Development installation program that DEP and DOT are working on to treat right-of-way drainage. o Flora Lane Pedestrian Bridge Replacement of the pedestrian bridge will occur in February. o Sligo Creek Parkway & Wayne Avenue Work by WSSC continues at this location. o The tree crew continues to work on removing high-risk trees and limbs county-wide. Crews have been working on this effort in Southern Parks since November; they will be focusing on Northern Parks now through April. o The tree crew will also be removing hazardous trees and limbs at Revenue Authoritymanaged Park Golf Courses over the next several months. Mary R. Bradford Director