September 2012 - Parks & Recreation - 54

Connecting with
Anaheim Mayor Tom Tait
With preparation underway for the 2012 NRPA Congress and Exposition
in Anaheim, California, P&R spoke with the mayor to learn how
parks and recreation are bringing people together.
By Amy Kapp

N E D O E S N ' T I M M E D I A T E LY think of Anaheim-known in the U.S. for its tourism industry-as
a private place. But for Mayor Tom Tait, strengthening connections among the city's 343,000 residents

is a priority.
" It's very interesting in southern California. Culturally, people
are much more private than I think they are in smaller towns or
other parts of the country, " Tait says. " We are particularly challenged...because of the way the houses are laid out-not really
having front porches...and people using their automatic garage
door openers to go in and out. "
In January 2011, in conjunction with his vision to instill
a core value of kindness in Anaheim, Tait announced the
launch of " Hi Neighbor, " an outreach campaign focused on
safety, community building, and emergency preparedness.
The initiative is a revival of a program created in 1959 by
the Anaheim Lions Club in response to the city's growth.
Over a period of several years, residents gathered annually
for a Hi Neighbor Day festival in Pearson Park or LaPalma
Park to meet each other, learn about city services, and enjoy food and entertainment.
By adapting the Hi Neighbor concept to the modern day, Tait
believes Anaheim can be better prepared to deal with challenges and unforeseen disasters. Included in the initiative are
an online portal and free social media site where residents can
acquire resources and exchange information related to things
such as event planning, neighborhood watches, and disaster
recovery.
" When people come together, good things happen, " Tait
says. " [Hi Neighbor] is part of a social infrastructure...to make
sure when people are maybe up to no good, neighbors are
looking out for one another. "
He continues, " Here in California, we're one day closer
to that big earthquake or some other emergency that could
potentially overwhelm our fi re departments or police departments. So, it has to be neighbors that come together to
help one another. "
When asked where parks fit into the fold, Tait speaks
52

Parks & Recreation S E P T E M B E R

2 0 1 2 W W W . N R P A . O R G

To the attendees of the
2012 NRPA Congress and Exposition:

" We welcome them with open arms
to Anaheim. We invite them to visit
our many parks, which we are very
proud of, and have a great time! "
Mayor Tom Tait of Anaheim, California

matter-of-factly.
" To get people to connect, we have to have a place where they
can connect. That place is our parks. "
To spur connections outdoors, Hi Neighbor recently piloted a six-month initiative to create several community
gardens in Anaheim, in conjunction with Anaheim Community Gardens and Council Member Gail Eastman. Tait notes
the involvement of more than 5,000 students who helped to
grow seedlings in classrooms, and credits the project with

September 2012 - Parks & Recreation

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