January 2015 - Parks & Recreation - 20

Community Center

Notable News
n The park and recreation
community
mourns the loss of
Tim Mitchell, 49, former chief of the Chicago Park District (CPD)
and longtime aide to
former Chicago Mayor
Richard M. Daley. He
passed away at his home on December
3 after a period of poor health. A Chicago native, Mitchell began working
with Daley during the 1980s when the
latter was employed as a state attorney,
and assumed an increasing series of
responsibilities as he worked his way
up in Chicago public service. During
the early 2000s, Mitchell served as
chief of infrastructure and operations
for the Chicago Office of the Mayor
until Daley appointed him to the position of chief executive officer and
general superintendent of the CPD in
February 2004. During the next seven years, Mitchell oversaw a number
of improvements to CPD lands and
facilities, including much of the restoration of the Chicago waterfront as
well as the initial planning to convert
the former Meigs Field Airport into a
78-acre nature park. He resigned from
his position in June 2011 shortly after
Daley left the mayor's office, and spent
the last few years working as a consultant and lobbyist. Mitchell is survived
by his twin brother, Tom. He is remembered for his dedication to his beloved
city and his commitment to providing
top-notch parks for all Chicagoans.
n The International Mountain Bicycling Association (IMBA) recently released Bike Parks: IMBA's Guide to New
School Trails, a guide for " how to plan,
build and maintain successful bike
parks, along with flow trails and other
18 Parks & Recreation

purpose-built bicycling facilities. " Bike
parks are becoming more and more
popular around the country, and they
require specialized knowledge for their
development in order to create a system
that will attract new and returning riders and maximize available space and
resources. Author Bob Allen, a Mountain Bike Hall of Fame inductee, offers
real-world case studies that showcase
schematics of
plans put into
place as well
as their results,
and more than
two dozen expert contributors have provided essays
offering advice
and insight for readers planning a bike
park for their community. The book also
includes guidance on fundraising strategies, risk management, maintenance,
operation and more. Copies are priced
at $30 each - to order, visit www.imba.
com/catalog/book-bike-parks-imbasguide-new-school-trails.
n The International Union for Conservation of Nature's World Parks
Congress met in Sydney, Australia, in
November for a once-a-decade event
that convenes leaders from around the
globe to find solutions and innovative
ideas for public lands worldwide. More
than 6,000 participants from more than
170 countries gathered for the weeklong
conference, which focused on collective
achievements for conservation during
the past decade and helped to enable the
next generation of leaders for success.
For more news from around the industry, visit www.parksandrecreation.
org/2015/January/Notable-News.

| J A N UA R Y 2 0 1 5 | W W W. N R PA . O R G

NRPA Connect
Hot Topics

hether your New Year's resolution is to implement an
innovative policy or host a
new event at your facility, visit NRPA
Connect to see what your colleagues are
doing! Connect is the only professional
networking platform dedicated to the
park and recreation profession - below, check out a sample of some of the
topics being discussed:
1) Program Scholarships/Sliding
Fees/Payment Plans: Does your
agency provide scholarships, sliding fees or payment plans for your
community when registering for programs? Your colleagues give advice
on the best way to support participants facing financial challenges.
2) Growth in Pickleball: Pickleball is
growing in popularity across the country! Some facilities are starting leagues
and hosting tournaments of this popular sport. Read what participants in this
thread are doing to accommodate the
growing request for this activity.
3) Natural Parkland Edges/Private
Residence Borders: Many park and
recreation departments manage natural
parklands that abut private residences.
In some areas, homeowners are encroaching into the park area, essentially
extending their backyards. Visit the discussion to see how other professionals
are addressing this issue.
4) Transporting Youth in Programs:
When providing transportation, what
are the accessibility requirements? See
what proactive steps you can take to
make sure you are ADA compliant.
Join the conversation - it's easy! Visit www.nrpaconnect.org to contribute!

- Hayley MacDonell, NRPA's Membership Programs Manager

January 2015 - Parks & Recreation

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of January 2015 - Parks & Recreation