September 2011 - Parks & Recreation - 28

Who, What, Where & how Around the Parks

B R I E F LY N O TED

September 24 marks the 2011 edition of
National Public Lands Day. On National Public Lands Day, volunteers gather at
parks, trails, gardens, historic sites, and
other public lands for a day of service.
In 2010, more than 170,000 volunteers
pitched in at 2,000 sites in all 50 states and
the District of Columbia. NPLD began
in 1994 with three sites and 700 volunteers. An instant success, NPLD became
a yearly tradition, typically held on the
last Saturday in September. Eight federal
agencies, nonprofits, and state, regional
and local governments participate in the
annual day of caring for shared lands.
For more information on NPLD, visit
www.neefusa.org or email npld@neefusa.org.
Long-time Virginia Beach resident Nicholas " Nick " Anoia has reached the 500hour mark in volunteer hours given to the
Virginia city's parks organizations. For the
last 11 years, Anoia served on the city's
Parks and Recreation Commission, which
serves as a medium between parks and
recreation and the city council. Anoia is the outgoing chair of the
commission. He
has also spent
seven years
with the Virginia Beach
Parks and
Recreation
Foundation,
a nonprofit
organization
which raises
funds to support
parks and recreation programs through
charitable contributions. The
area businessman has also spent four
years with the City of Virginia Beach
Open Space Committee, which devotes its
efforts to acquiring undeveloped land for
future preservation through their knowledge of trails, beaches, waterways, and

26 Parks & Recreation

SEPTEMBER 2011

natural areas. Well-regarded for his dedication and consideration, Anoia says that
his favorite part about volunteering with
the city has been " getting to meet the other people who are actively involved in civic activities. "
An Indiana University study examining
the accessibility of playground surfaces
found that within just 12 months of installation, each type of surface studied was found
to have accessibility, safety, or maintenance
issues. The National Center on Accessibility, with funding from the U.S. Access
Board, is conducting a longitudinal study
on the installation and maintenance of accessible playground surfaces, examining
various types of surfacing materials at 25
newly constructed playgrounds, with surfaces including poured-in-place rubber,
engineered wood fiber, rubber tiles, and
hybrid surface systems.
" Our findings support what accessibility professionals have thought all along-
there is no perfectly accessible playground
surface, " says Jennifer Skulski, the study's
principal investigator. " It is critical the playground owner understand the functions
and limits of each type of surface in order
to select the surface most appropriate for their site-one that costs
more up front but likely takes
little maintenance over the
years or one that costs
significantly less up
front but may require more seasonal
maintenance. "
The new A DA
Standards for Accessible Design,
adopted by t he

www.NRPA .ORG

U.S. Department of Justice on September
15, 2010, require that all new public playgrounds covered by the Americans with
Disabilities Act be accessible to people
with disabilities. Playgrounds typically covered by the ADA include public
parks, elementary schools, and child
care facilities.
The study is available at www.-ncaonline.
org/index.php?q=node/1447.
The St. Louis County Municipal
League has selected Live Well Ferguson! as the winner of the 2011 Large
City Innovation Award. The League's
Innovation Award program highlights
municipal projects that use creative solutions to solving city problems. LWF is
an initiative of the City of Ferguson that
helps residents lead healthier lifestyles
through active living and improved dietary habits. LWF reaches across sectors
and disciplines to facilitate community
participation in enhancing the built environment, impacting policy, and building
healthy social networks. Ferguson recognizes the need to address the rising obesity rates across the nation.

September 2011 - Parks & Recreation

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