September 2015 - Parks & Recreation - 12

Letters
We hope the articles you read in Parks & Recreation are thought-provoking and
engaging, and we want to hear your opinions on what you read in these pages. Through
social media posts, website comments, emails to staff or posts on NRPA Connect, let us
know how the magazine's articles apply to your job and your agency. To submit feedback
for this section, email Executive Editor Samantha Bartram at sbartram@nrpa.org.

on end. It'll be a sad day if everybody
ever calls in a nuisance complaint.
Comment regarding James C. Kozlowski, J.D., Ph.D.'s March 2015 article, " Park Playground Ban on Adults
Unaccompanied by Children, " www.
parksandrecreation.org/2015/March/
Park-Playground-Ban-on-Adults-Unaccompanied-by-Children

Goats and other livestock certainly have their place in weed
management, especially at sites that
are dominated by weeds. It is important to note that they are nonselective
eaters - they eat natives and nonnatives alike. Goats don't necessarily
kill weeds either, but they are another
tool in the tool box.
Comment from Bruce Barbarasch, superintendent of natural resources and
trails management at Tualatin Hills
Parks and Recreation in Beaverton, Oregon, regarding NRPA Vice President
of Conservation and Parks Richard J.
Dolesh's July 2015 article, " Got Weeds?
Get Goats! " www.parksandrecreation.
org/2015/July/Got-Weeds-Get-Goats
Choosing this program was the
best decision I ever made! All
10	 Parks
	
& Recreation

of the professors are truly supportive
of all the students. I am proud to be
an alumni of this program and proud
to be a CTRS!
Comment from Kendell Quillin, a former NRPA student member from Texas
State University, regarding the June 2015
Open Space blog post, " NC2NV: Texas
State University, " www.nrpa.org/Blog/
NC2NV-Texas-State-University
This is some of the dumbest
stuff I've ever heard of! What
part of " public " do people not understand in the phrase " public park?! " On
a public boardwalk where I live, there's
a (seemingly) mentally challenged individual who dresses like Richard
Simmons and does dance exercises
with roller skates and sticks for hours

| S E P T E M B E R 2 0 1 5 | W W W. N R PA . O R G

Great article...I totally agree
with everything, but REALLY
struggle with No. 2. As one professional recently said to me, " government
isn't designed or set to do good things,
but rather to keep bad things from happening. " After 20 years and three agencies, there is much truth to this! In
terms of innovation I see this every day.
While it's not impossible to do one
thing (or even a couple things) " innovatively " - most departments can usually point to something they did innovatively - developing a true culture of
innovation is something completely
different, and quite honestly usually
completely missing from parks and recreation, and government departments
in general. And this is a result of the
reality of how departments are set up,
authorized and managed, as well as
risk management, not wanting to compete with the private sector, reactive
versus proactive management, risk
thresholds of decision makers/elected
officials, and lack of understanding
among decision makers. I would love
to see or hear an in-depth presentation
September 2015 - Parks & Recreation

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