December 2009 - Parks & Recreation - 14

Who, What, Where & how
-Around the Parks

Continued from page 11

writers would get more stories from real
parks and recreation agencies, as our
stories are much funnier and more realistic than the scripts. " -Michael A. Bork,
Moberly, Missouri

" It is a situation comedy, but if we act
like we can't laugh at ourselves, how will
we be perceived? By the way, can you
get me a copy of that Bobby Knight poster for my office? " -Don Trip, Des Moines, Iowa
" Well written and many of the scenarios, while embellished, are very realistic. Truthfully, if you cannot laugh at
yourself - and we are a profession that
works to enhance and bring a positive
experience to people- then life is really
a struggle. " -Kevin Dunbar, Clearwater, Florida
" As a politician once said, 'I don't care
what you report as long as you spell my

e:
l
i
f
o
Pr

name correctly.' It sort of holds true
here...it does give our profession exposure. I am not really sure if it helps us or
hurts us, but I am not really concerned
about it because it is a sitcom and I hope
those who watch it understand that (even
though some of the stuff we deal with is
pretty funny). " -Jim Dumont, Walla Walla,
Washington

" I support the show in the sense that
comedy is a good thing. It hurts the field,
no question. In this day and age when
government is taking such a bad rap for
everything, this just solidifies the concept that the public sector is a con job. " -
John Roberts, Princeton Township, New Jersey

" When it first came out I was very disappointed in the show. I felt they could
have contacted professionals throughout the country to get good, humorous

stories. I have not watched it at all this
season; however, others in the office
have said I should give it another try. " -
Susan O'Connor, South Bend, Indiana

" It helps parks and recreation. Do
any of us think less of Korean war doctors (MASH), friends at a neighborhood
bar (Cheers)...and on and on, because
we laugh at them in a situation comedy?
My friends have seen the show and wish
they were in parks and recreation. Let's
face it, these are pretty cool jobs! " -Don
Trip, Des Moines, Iowa

" At first I was a little frustrated with it,
but try to see the humor in the show and
watch it for what it is-entertainment. " -
Kari Kivisto, Hershey Track and Field Wyoming
State Chair, Cheyenne, Wyoming

" Many of the ideas (slow response to
problems, meetings that go on forever

Ted Flickinger

W

hen it comes to furthering the goals of NRPA
and advancing parks and recreation, few can hold
a candle to Ted Flickinger. A life-long advocate for
citizen involvement, Flickinger believes citizens are the foundation for the parks and recreation movement. " Park and
Recreation employees have a vested interest in parks and
recreation-we get paid to do it, but citizens are the people
who can carry our banner much better than we can, especially with their legislators, " says Flickinger. " I'm a true believer that we need to keep the citizen out front-to be the eyes
and ears for what our customers really need at the local level.
I've seen over and over again, the impact that citizens have. "
Ted Flickinger has been a member of NRPA since 1966
and is currently the President and CEO of the Illinois Association of Park Districts (IAPD), a position he's held since 1980.
He has established a model state association representing
over 400 park districts, forest preserves, and conservation
and recreation agencies throughout Illinois. During this time,
IAPD introduced 144 separate initiatives, of which more than
90 percent passed in the General Assembly.
" I reached out to Ted when I joined NRPA because I had
heard about his success with citizen advocates, " say Barbara
Tulipane, CEO of the National Recreation and Park Association. " I was appreciative of the amount of time he gave to explain his model. His experience and knowledge speak volumes
about his commitment and love for the park movement. "
Flickinger credits his early involvement in the field to
a mentor who noticed his love of sports. " That's how it all

12	 Parks & Recreation D EDC EE CMEBME BR E 2R0 2009 0w9 w ww. NwRwP .AN. RO PRAG. O R G

started for me. As a kid,
I loved sports, and then I
became a lifeguard, and I
remember thinking, wow,
you can get paid for this?
I was so lucky there was a
professional in my hometown who was willing to
spend time with young
people and mentor them.
I was just 15, but he let me
help out in the office with
filing, and I got to go to board meetings, and I was in on finances. When I was 17, he put me in charge of seven playgrounds, " Flickinger laughs. " This was a long time ago in a
small community in Ohio. Of course you can't really do that
today with child labor laws, " he jokes. But kidding aside, Flickinger's experience made him a strong believer in the importance of mentoring today's youth. " I learned so much from
him, and it shows how important it is to mentor young people
who are just coming in. "
What advice does this veteran have to offer? " Surround
yourself with good people. I'm overwhelmed by the generosity and greatness of the people in this field. "
Though Flickinger will be retiring at the end of the year,
he plans to keep his finger on the pulse of parks and recreation and will branch out into consulting work. " After nearly
50 years in this field I can't just walk away. " 




December 2009 - Parks & Recreation

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of December 2009 - Parks & Recreation

December 2009 - Parks & Recreation - 1
December 2009 - Parks & Recreation - 2
December 2009 - Parks & Recreation - 3
December 2009 - Parks & Recreation - 4
December 2009 - Parks & Recreation - 5
December 2009 - Parks & Recreation - 6
December 2009 - Parks & Recreation - 7
December 2009 - Parks & Recreation - 8
December 2009 - Parks & Recreation - 9
December 2009 - Parks & Recreation - 10
December 2009 - Parks & Recreation - 11
December 2009 - Parks & Recreation - 12
December 2009 - Parks & Recreation - 13
December 2009 - Parks & Recreation - 14
December 2009 - Parks & Recreation - 15
December 2009 - Parks & Recreation - 16
December 2009 - Parks & Recreation - 17
December 2009 - Parks & Recreation - 18
December 2009 - Parks & Recreation - 19
December 2009 - Parks & Recreation - 20
December 2009 - Parks & Recreation - 21
December 2009 - Parks & Recreation - 22
December 2009 - Parks & Recreation - 23
December 2009 - Parks & Recreation - 24
December 2009 - Parks & Recreation - 25
December 2009 - Parks & Recreation - 26
December 2009 - Parks & Recreation - 27
December 2009 - Parks & Recreation - 28
December 2009 - Parks & Recreation - 29
December 2009 - Parks & Recreation - 30
December 2009 - Parks & Recreation - 31
December 2009 - Parks & Recreation - 32
December 2009 - Parks & Recreation - 33
December 2009 - Parks & Recreation - 34
December 2009 - Parks & Recreation - 35
December 2009 - Parks & Recreation - 36
December 2009 - Parks & Recreation - 37
December 2009 - Parks & Recreation - 38
December 2009 - Parks & Recreation - 39
December 2009 - Parks & Recreation - 40
December 2009 - Parks & Recreation - 41
December 2009 - Parks & Recreation - 42
December 2009 - Parks & Recreation - 43
December 2009 - Parks & Recreation - 44
December 2009 - Parks & Recreation - 45
December 2009 - Parks & Recreation - 46
December 2009 - Parks & Recreation - 47
December 2009 - Parks & Recreation - 48
December 2009 - Parks & Recreation - 49
December 2009 - Parks & Recreation - 50
December 2009 - Parks & Recreation - 51
December 2009 - Parks & Recreation - 52
December 2009 - Parks & Recreation - 53
December 2009 - Parks & Recreation - 54
December 2009 - Parks & Recreation - 55
December 2009 - Parks & Recreation - 56
December 2009 - Parks & Recreation - 57
December 2009 - Parks & Recreation - 58
December 2009 - Parks & Recreation - 59
December 2009 - Parks & Recreation - 60
December 2009 - Parks & Recreation - 61
December 2009 - Parks & Recreation - 62
December 2009 - Parks & Recreation - 63
December 2009 - Parks & Recreation - 64
December 2009 - Parks & Recreation - 65
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December 2009 - Parks & Recreation - 70
December 2009 - Parks & Recreation - 71
December 2009 - Parks & Recreation - 72
https://www.nxtbook.com/nrpa/ParksRecreationMagazine/february-2021
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https://www.nxtbook.com/nrpa/ParksRecreationMagazine/march-2018
https://www.nxtbook.com/nrpa/ParksRecreationMagazine/february-2018
https://www.nxtbook.com/nrpa/ParksRecreationMagazine/january-2018
https://www.nxtbook.com/nrpa/ParksRecreationMagazine/december-2017
https://www.nxtbook.com/nrpa/ParksRecreationMagazine/november-2017
https://www.nxtbook.com/nrpa/ParksRecreationMagazine/october-2017
https://www.nxtbook.com/nrpa/ParksRecreationMagazine/september-2017
https://www.nxtbook.com/nrpa/ParksRecreationMagazine/august-2017
https://www.nxtbook.com/nrpa/ParksRecreationMagazine/july-2017
https://www.nxtbook.com/nrpa/ParksRecreationMagazine/june-2017
https://www.nxtbook.com/nrpa/ParksRecreationMagazine/may-2017
https://www.nxtbook.com/nrpa/ParksRecreationMagazine/april-2017
https://www.nxtbook.com/nrpa/ParksRecreationMagazine/march-2017
https://www.nxtbook.com/nrpa/ParksRecreationMagazine/february-2017
https://www.nxtbook.com/nrpa/ParksRecreationMagazine/january-2017
https://www.nxtbook.com/nrpa/ParksRecreationMagazine/december-2016
https://www.nxtbook.com/nrpa/ParksRecreationMagazine/november-2016
https://www.nxtbook.com/nrpa/ParksRecreationMagazine/october-2016
https://www.nxtbook.com/nrpa/ParksRecreationMagazine/august-2016
https://www.nxtbook.com/nrpa/ParksRecreationMagazine/july-2016
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https://www.nxtbook.com/nrpa/ParksRecreationMagazine/may-2016
https://www.nxtbook.com/nrpa/ParksRecreationMagazine/april-2016
https://www.nxtbook.com/nrpa/ParksRecreationMagazine/march-2016
https://www.nxtbook.com/nrpa/ParksRecreationMagazine/february-2016
https://www.nxtbook.com/nrpa/ParksRecreationMagazine/january-2016
https://www.nxtbook.com/nrpa/ParksRecreationMagazine/december-2015
https://www.nxtbook.com/nrpa/ParksRecreationMagazine/november-2015
https://www.nxtbook.com/nrpa/ParksRecreationMagazine/october-2015
https://www.nxtbook.com/nrpa/ParksRecreationMagazine/september-2015
https://www.nxtbook.com/nrpa/ParksRecreationMagazine/august-2015
https://www.nxtbook.com/nrpa/ParksRecreationMagazine/july-2015
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https://www.nxtbook.com/nrpa/ParksRecreationMagazine/april-2015
https://www.nxtbook.com/nrpa/ParksRecreationMagazine/march-2015
https://www.nxtbook.com/nrpa/ParksRecreationMagazine/february-2015
https://www.nxtbook.com/nrpa/ParksRecreationMagazine/january-2015
https://www.nxtbook.com/nrpa/ParksRecreationMagazine/december-2014
https://www.nxtbook.com/nrpa/ParksRecreationMagazine/november-2014
https://www.nxtbook.com/nrpa/ParksRecreationMagazine/october-2014
https://www.nxtbook.com/nrpa/ParksRecreationMagazine/september-2014
https://www.nxtbook.com/nrpa/ParksRecreationMagazine/august-2014
https://www.nxtbook.com/nrpa/ParksRecreationMagazine/july-2014
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https://www.nxtbook.com/nrpa/ParksRecreationMagazine/march-2014
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https://www.nxtbook.com/nrpa/ParksRecreationMagazine/january-2014
https://www.nxtbook.com/nrpa/ParksRecreationMagazine/december-2013
https://www.nxtbook.com/nrpa/ParksRecreationMagazine/november-2013
https://www.nxtbook.com/nrpa/ParksRecreationMagazine/october-2013
https://www.nxtbook.com/nrpa/ParksRecreationMagazine/september-2013
https://www.nxtbook.com/nrpa/ParksRecreationMagazine/august-2013
https://www.nxtbook.com/nrpa/ParksRecreationMagazine/july-2013
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https://www.nxtbook.com/nrpa/ParksRecreationMagazine/may-2013
https://www.nxtbook.com/nrpa/ParksRecreationMagazine/april-2013
https://www.nxtbook.com/nrpa/ParksRecreationMagazine/march-2013
https://www.nxtbook.com/nrpa/ParksRecreationMagazine/february-2013
https://www.nxtbook.com/nrpa/ParksRecreationMagazine/january-2013
https://www.nxtbook.com/nrpa/ParksRecreationMagazine/december-2012
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https://www.nxtbook.com/nrpa/ParksRecreationMagazine/october-2012
https://www.nxtbook.com/nrpa/ParksRecreationMagazine/september-2012
https://www.nxtbook.com/nrpa/ParksRecreationMagazine/august-2012
https://www.nxtbook.com/nrpa/ParksRecreationMagazine/july-2012
https://www.nxtbook.com/nrpa/ParksRecreationMagazine/june-2012
https://www.nxtbook.com/nrpa/ParksRecreationMagazine/may-2012
https://www.nxtbook.com/nrpa/ParksRecreationMagazine/april-2012
https://www.nxtbook.com/nrpa/ParksRecreationMagazine/march-2012
https://www.nxtbook.com/nrpa/ParksRecreationMagazine/february-2012
https://www.nxtbook.com/nrpa/ParksRecreationMagazine/january-2012
https://www.nxtbook.com/nrpa/ParksRecreationMagazine/december-2011
https://www.nxtbook.com/nrpa/ParksRecreationMagazine/november-2011
https://www.nxtbook.com/nrpa/ParksRecreationMagazine/october-2011
https://www.nxtbook.com/nrpa/ParksRecreationMagazine/september-2011
https://www.nxtbook.com/nrpa/ParksRecreationMagazine/august-2011
https://www.nxtbook.com/nrpa/ParksRecreationMagazine/july-2011
https://www.nxtbook.com/nrpa/ParksRecreationMagazine/june-2011
https://www.nxtbook.com/nrpa/ParksRecreationMagazine/may-2011
https://www.nxtbook.com/nrpa/ParksRecreationMagazine/april-2011
https://www.nxtbook.com/nrpa/ParksRecreationMagazine/march-2011
https://www.nxtbook.com/nrpa/ParksRecreationMagazine/february-2011
https://www.nxtbook.com/nrpa/ParksRecreationMagazine/january-2011
https://www.nxtbook.com/nrpa/ParksRecreationMagazine/december-2010
https://www.nxtbook.com/nrpa/ParksRecreationMagazine/november-2010
https://www.nxtbook.com/nrpa/ParksRecreationMagazine/october-2010
https://www.nxtbook.com/nrpa/ParksRecreationMagazine/september-2010
https://www.nxtbook.com/nrpa/ParksRecreationMagazine/august-2010
https://www.nxtbook.com/nrpa/ParksRecreationMagazine/july-2010
https://www.nxtbook.com/nrpa/ParksRecreationMagazine/june-2010
https://www.nxtbook.com/nrpa/ParksRecreationMagazine/may-2010
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https://www.nxtbook.com/nrpa/ParksRecreationMagazine/march-2010
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