Q.What sort of responses and reactions have you heard from Villagers in regard to the recreation centers? A.Most residents seem to enjoy our recreation centers. Our biggest response was to Eisenhower, of course. I've been told by many how proud they are to have it here in The Villages. Q.How important do you think design at the recreation centers is for Villagers? A.I think our Villagers are very happy that we put so much thought and detail into our recreation centers. They are each unique. We listen to their wants and needs and do our best to incorporate them into our new centers as we grow. Q.Are there any interesting items or decorations that stand out in your mind that you included in a recreation center's design? A.There are so many interesting items in our centers. Eisenhower has many personal items of our service people, such as a flag from Hiroshima and personal letters. Rohan has fun pieces of The Villages history. SeaBreeze has lots of photos of family and friends. Q.Do you have a "favorite" recreation center or area? If so, what makes it your favorite? A.My favorite recreation center is usually the one we just finished. It's kind of like giving birth. It's very exciting to see what is on paper come to life and watch all our Villagers enjoy them. Q.What are some upcoming projects you are looking forward to? A.Right now we are working on Everglades Recreation Center, a tribute to our national parks. It's always fun to do the research on projects like this. We get to learn a lot about our country with this one. July is National Parks and Recreation Month! The Villages Recreation and Parks Department is celebrating with events at recreation centers and areas throughout the month, including health classes, yoga, water baseball, nature walks and more. Learn more about the recreation centers by calling The Villages Recreation and Parks Department at 352-674-1800 or by visiting thevillages.com/recreation. To learn more about National Park and Recreation Month, visit NRPA.org/July. MAGAZINE 17http://www.thevillages.com/recreation http://www.NRPA.org/July