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INSIDE THIS ISSUE:
2005 HIGHLIGHTS 2
A YEAR FOR AWARDS 3
GRAND OPENING 4
CELEBRATIONS
MERIDIAN'S 5
PATHWAYS -
BUILDING
CONNECTIVITY
WATER 5
MANAGEMENT
CAMP MER -IDA -MOO: 6
GIVING KIDS A
WORLD OF GOOD
�/rEN�IAN,-
Department of Parks
& Recreation Newsletter
City of Meridian • 33 East Broadway Avenue, Suite 206, Meridian, ID 83642
Telephone: 888-3579 • Fax: 898-5501
CITE' OF MERIDIAN LIGHTS THE CHRISTMAS TREE!
On December 5th, at Generations Plaza, in
downtown Meridian, the Meridian Parks
and Recreation Department hosted the
2008 Meridian Christmas Tree Lighting
Celebration. Mayor Tammy de Weerd and
Doug Petcash of KTVB News Channel 7
emceed the event, which started at 6:00
pm, with a special showing of the cartoon,
"How The Grinch Stole Christmas", on the
same inflatable movie screen that's used for
CableONE Movie Night in Meridian. The
following ceremony included performances
from three local school choirs, the
announcing of the Holiday Essay Contest
winners, and the arrival of Santa Claus!
The turnout was fantastic for this year's
event, as over 1,000 people showed up to
witness the
lighting of
Meridian's
tree. After the
ceremony was
over, kids had
the opportunity
to visit with
Santa Claus
(pictured left),
and everyone was treated to free horse-
drawn carriage rides. Free donuts from
Krispy Kreme and free hot chocolate from
The Library Coffeehouse were available as
well. Also at the event was the Meridian
Downtown Business Association, which
had hot soup for sale, and the US Marine
Corps with their Toys for Tots drop box.
Thank you to all the businesses,
organizations and individuals who helped
make the 2008 Meridian Christmas Tree
Lighting Celebration a great success!
you to aff citizens
interested in donatin� y a tree for
our annual ' riestmT—kee
Jn�itin9 'Ceremony.
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ay
and -our sincere aMpreciatkn,
''Meridian Ark, §' 6 eecreation
-4taff
2008 HIGHLIGHTS
CableONE Movie Night in Meridian: We had a very
successful second season this year. CableONE Movie Night
in Meridian runs every Friday night in Settlers Park during
June, July, and August. Attendance this year was up, with
1,000-2,000 participants each night totaling 12 shows. It is a
fantastic family event that kids of all ages enjoy. We are
planning and implementing several improvements, including
new lighting and concessions improvements.
Adventure Island Playground: The new Sound Garden,
Tree of Hope, and Little City of Rocks (pictured below) at
Settlers Park opened this past summer to rave reviews by the
public. Remaining
improvements
include shade
structures. This area
promises to be
incredibly popular
with children and
- adults alike. We are
working with Angela
and Darin Lindig to
prepare the donor
recognition this winter in preparation for a Commemoration
Ceremony planned for early next summer.
Splash Pad Improvements: We installed a UV system for
water treatment at the Settlers Park Splash Pad. Weekly
super -chlorination, signage, and regular testing are also part
of the solution. Staff worked hard to have everything
installed and functioning last winter/spring prior to opening
the Splash Pad on Memorial Day weekend. Seasonal
Splash Pad Attendants were hired to be on site on a daily
basis.
PAGE 2
front of the old Branch Library with three new tree wells and
four new tree wells at various locations around downtown.
We are also working with Meridian Development
Corporation to install new benches, trash receptacles, and
other improvements in the downtown area.
4th of July Event: The City of Meridian teamed up with the
Meridian Speedway for the first time to produce a
spectacular event. The Meridian Speedway's annual
fireworks show was bigger and better than previous years,
plus a family -friendly alcohol -
free event was hosted by the
Meridian Parks & Recreation
Department in Storey Park
adjacent to the Speedway, which
included bounce houses, a
climbing all and a live band.
Meridian residents (pictured above) flocked to both the
Speedway and to Storey Park to enjoy the festivities. The
Meridian Speedway and the City of Meridian plan to
continue their partnership to bring a similar event to
downtown Meridian in future years by making this an
annual event.
Expansion in Sports League Offerings: Meridian Parks &
Recreation added several new sports leagues in 2008 in their
continuous effort to provide a variety of recreational
opportunities for all ages. New sports leagues include a
Spring Girl's Fastpitch League, Fall Girl's Fastpitch League,
a Women's Volleyball League, Adult Dodgeball League,
and a Women's Basketball League.
Field Usage Scheduling: As part of our turf management
program, we are working on a new system for scheduling
sports fields in the parks. In 2007, we experienced
Settlers Village Square: Settlers Village Square is the overuse of several fields, especially in Settlers Park,
next series of improvements to Meridian Settlers Park which resulted in damage to the turf, worn areas,
and will be built in three phases. The first phase of and required rehabilitation. We are now requiring
Settlers Village Square is currently under construction A scheduling of fields for both practices and games.
and will include two tennis courts, horseshoe pits, two
picnic shelters, and other related improvements. Phase
one will be completed in the summer of 2009.
Barn Sour Race: June 28 was the Barn Sour Race, which
begins and ends in Settlers Park. This year's event included
over 100 participants in three categories --a 1 -mile fun run, as
well as 6K and 10K events. The race was followed by an
awards ceremony and raffle with great prizes. The feedback
received afterward was that it was a great event, well -
organized, and one of the better race events in the Treasure
Valley.
Downtown Streetscape: Downtown streetscape
improvement projects this year include a new streetscape in
Arbor Day: We held an Arbor Day Celebration on
April 24 at the Meridian Technical Charter High
School on Locust Grove. We planted a tree for the
school with the help of several students. The Mayor read a
proclamation, and we honored the school for a recent
volunteer effort to plant several trees in Heroes Park.
Public Presentations: We have created a traveling
presentation that highlights the parks, sports, and recreation
programs that we offer. This past summer, we made several
public presentations to organizations across the City,
including Kiwanis Daybreakers, Leadership Meridian,
Meridian Chamber of Commerce, and the Noon Kiwanis
group. (continued on page 3)
During this past summer, we received notification from
Nickelodeon stating we have won a Parent's Picks Award.
The awards went to Settlers Park/Adventure Island
Playground for the best park/playground in the Boise area.
We actually won two categories --best park for young children
and best park for older children.
Above: Children enjoy playing with the equipment at the
Adventure Island Playground at Settlers Park.
(photo courtesy ofAmerican Society of Landscape Architects)
The Parks & Recreation Department was honored to
receive three Association of Idaho Cities (AIC)
Achievement Awards, which were presented at the June
2008 annual conference held in Boise. The first of the three
prestigious awards was for CableONE Movie Night at Settlers
Park offering a community gathering place every weekend
over the summer months and providing a safe, family -
friendly atmosphere. The Meridian Youth Baseball and Softball
complex received recognition for meeting the demands of
youth baseball in the Pacific Northwest. This facility is
approximately worth $3.5 million and only cost the City
under $2.1 million to build, thanks to our valuable
Above (Top Row -Left to Right): Fire Chief Ron Anderson, Rural Fire
Commissioner Rich Greene, City AttorneylHuman Resources Director Bill Nary,
Parks & Recreation Director Steve Siddoway, City Council Member David
Zaremba, & City Council Member Keith Bird.
(Bottom Row -Left to Right): Twin Falls Mayor Lance Clow, Meridian Mayor
Tammy de Weerd, & Council Member Charles Rountree.
partnership with the Meridian Youth Baseball & Softball
organization and Trace Leighton. The third award was for
PAGE 3
the implementation of the updated Meridian
Pathways Master Plan. The long-term vision of
this plan is to expand and improve a bike/
pedestrian pathway system throughout the
City, which remains a high priority for
Meridian benefiting both residents and non-residents alike.
On September 24, 2008, the Leighton Family Baseball
Complex at Settlers Park was presented the "Outstanding
Facility and Parks: Special Use" award at the Idaho Recreation
and Parks Association (IRPA) Conference in Orofino. This
award was presented in recognition of outstanding effort in
the parks and recreation field statewide. We are honored to
have this baseball/softball complex recognized as one of the
best in the state and region. The new ballfields provide a
place to play for over 1,400 children ages 5 to 15 in the
Meridian Youth Baseball & Softball programs, plus
additional leagues hosted by the Meridian Parks &
Recreation Department.
2008 HIGHLIGHTS (continued from page 2)
We are working hard to tell the story of Meridian Parks &
Recreation throughout the community. If any groups would
like a presentation made to their organization, please
contact Rachel Myers, at 888-3579.
Julius M. Kleiner Park: This park will be a jewel in our park
system. It is planned to be developed and donated to the
City of Meridian by the Julius M. Kleiner Park Land Trust.
At 60 acres, it will be our largest park located adjacent to the
proposed Lifestyle Development Shopping Center on the
corner of Eagle Road and Fairview Avenue. The current
property owners are selecting a design team to move
forward with concept design and construction documents
with the goal of breaking ground next year. The theme of
this park will be dedicated to more traditional, passive park
uses, instead of the sports facilities that dominate most of
our other existing parks today.
Heroes Park: We held a
ceremony on August 6, 2008 for
wonderful grand opening
Heroes Park. Two Park
Legacy Awards
were presented
as part of the
ceremony --one
to FarWest
LLC, and one
to Primeland
Development
Company for
their donations
of land and
other resources to the park. At no cost to the City of
Meridian, Farwest, LL.C. donated the 5.09 acres of land to
assist in bringing Heroes Park to fruition. The total value of
developer -provided acreage is $254,500. In addition, at no
cost to the City of Meridian, Primeland Development
Company donated 4.473 acres of land. A cash donation of
$40,000 was contributed, and Primeland Development
provided other improvements. The total value of the
developer -provided contribution is $400,000.
The City of Meridian owns Heroes Park and has a
partnership with the Meridian Police Activities League
(MPAL). MPAL will contribute $650,000 toward the
construction of the park in return for priority use of the park
during their soccer and inline hockey seasons, which are
used exclusively to support youth games and practices.
Other park users have full access to the park during non-
scheduled times.
The construction of Phase 1
of Heroes Park began in
August of 2005, which
included: underground
utilities; a playing field —
graded, seeded, and turf, a
sprinkler irrigation system; a
parking lot and pathways
paved; and curbs, gutters, and sidewalks. The construction
of Phase 2 began in May of 2008 with the landscaping, tree
planting, and installation of the inline hockey court. Future
improvements to Heroes Park (phase 3) are scheduled for
2008-09. They include: a restroom/ maintenance/
concessions building; a playground - swings, benches, and
softfall; a paved pathway; additional landscaping and trees
(north end); two picnic shelters; trash receptacles and
signage; and a Ten Mile frontage upgrade. Many thanks go
the companies that assisted with the construction: Haemker
General Contracting; Boise Excavation, LLC; Stanley
Consultants; Brooks Design Group; C & A Paving; and
The Turf Corporation.
Renaissance Park: The name Renaissance Park was approved
by the City Council in January. Renaissance Park is the
neighborhood park in Messina Meadows Subdivision and
was built over the past year through
Tuscany Development, Inc. At no
Meridian, Tuscany Development, Inc
grading, irrigation, landscaping and
along with countless hours of project
management to bring Renaissance
Park to fruition. The total value of
developer -provided improvements is
$1.45 million. The name Renaissance
Park was submitted for consideration
by a resident in the subdivision, Dave
Ozmon, and fits the Italianate theme of the subdivision.
The Grand Opening Ceremony was held on June 6, 2008,
including a nice ceremony and ribbon cutting. We would
like to recognize Haemker General Contracting and
Sterling Landscape Design and Construction for their
involvement with the park construction.
PAGE 4
a partnership with
cost to the City of
donated the land,
other improvements
Heritage Middle School Ballfields: The
School District and City Council approved
the agreement for use of the ballfields at
Heritage Middle School in May. This is a
valuable partnership and allows us to begin
our new Girl's Fastpitch Softball league.
The fields are also used by the Senior
Wood Bat League and can be used in the future for
tournaments. We held a Grand Opening Ceremony for the
HMS ballfields on May 21, 2008. It was a small, but nice
ceremony, with recognition of the valuable partnership
between the Joint School District #2 and the City. Dr.
Linda Clark through out the first pitch.
The City of Meridian would like to thank
retak Fy ,��' terns
+3+o E. Fairview Avenue, McriJian
Piro ne: 888-2+1-+
for decorating the City Hall Christmas Tree
located in the foyer and Providing all of the decor!
MERIDIAN'S PATHWAYS - BUILDING CONNECTIVITY
Pictured Below (Left to
Right): Meridian Parks
& Recreation
Commissioners Michael
Martin, Vice President
Creg Steele, and Phillip
Liddell identifying
and prioritizing
pathway segments.
The Parks & Recreation Commission
has been working toward prioritizing
pathway segments. The Pathways
Master Plan divides future pathway
segments into those that will be
development driven and those that will
need to be constructed by the City in
built -out areas of town. First priority
will be improving connections from the
existing Bud Porter Pathway to the east
connecting from Meridian Road to
Fairview Avenue.
The Parks & Recreation Department is
working with the Interim Pathways
Planner from the Planning Department
in assisting us with pathway
implementation, such as writing staff
reports, inspecting new developments for required
improvements, and helping us find creative funding
solutions.
The 8th Street Pedestrian Crossing Project will connect from
the Bud Porter Pathway to 8th Street Park. A Floodplain
No Rise Certification was approved this past spring, and we
have been working over the summer months to secure
M11104 0 011,40r RMOUM\
Having witnessed the effects of water shortages in many
sections of the country during the past decade, we can
appreciate the value and need for the conservation of water.
Thus, since scientists forecast more extensive
droughts throughout the next decade, we must
become more conscious of water use. Only
through careful management of our water
resources can we now expect to have adequate
water supplies for turf grass irrigation in the 21st
Century.
The City of Meridian is committed to water
conservation, which, in turn, improves turf quality
and field playability. Both of these effects are
products of a properly designed and managed
irrigation system. Simply installing an irrigation
system to provide coverage to a sports field or
common area does not constitute design. Climatic
conditions, root zone properties, grass species, turf
use, and water source must all be considered. In
addition, pipe size, nozzle diameter, operating pressure, and
sprinkler head spacing, and the rate and uniformity of
application of water must also be considered. Efficient use
�k6'
Above (Left to Right): Commissioners Tom LeClaire, Phillip Liddell, Steven
ly,
arsley, PresidentTohn Nesmith, and Director Steve Siddoway at the Meridian
Parks & Recreation Commission Pathways Workshop -August 2008.
7
PAGE 5
needed approvals from the Nampa Meridian Irrigation
District (NMID), Corps of Engineers, and the Department
of Water Resources. NMID approved the plans for a culvert
crossing and pathway connection. This project will be built
in two phases. During the first phase, a culvert will be
installed. For the second phase, asphalt will be added with
the anticipation of the overall project to be finished in the
spring of 2009.
of water will, in time, become the most important design
consideration for an irrigation system.
We conserve water by careful irrigation design, proper turf
grass selection, and a system that monitors
weather conditions and automatically adjust
station run times or the number of days between
watering to replace only the water our turf grass
requires.
The Parks & Recreation Department has formed
a partnership with the Public Works
Department. Together, we are working to utilize
highly -treated reclaimed water in place of
irrigation water on our parks and open spaces to
help conserve and reuse our valued water
resource.
PAGE 6
MEET THE STAFF
The Meridian Parks & Recreation Department received a new Director, Steve Siddoway, in January of 2008 after serving as
Interim Director for five months. Prior to this, he has been employed by Parametrix, Inc. since 2006 as the Planning Division
Manager. Steve was also
employed by the City of
Meridian from 1999 to
2006 in the Planning
Department and was later
appointed and served on
the Planning and Zoning
Commission in January
2007. Steve is a resident of
Meridian, is an AICP
certified planner, and holds
a master's degree in
Resource Recreation and
Tourism.
Rachel Myers is the newest
staff member to the
Department. She began
employment with the City
of Meridian in April 2008 Above (Top Row -Left to Right): Brad Day, Jeremy Aldrich, Dennis Summers, Dan White, Elroy Huff, Spence Chivers,
and provides clerical Steve Siddoway, Terry Whipple, Rick Heller, & Greg Farrow.
support to the team as
Administrative Secretary. (Bottom Row -Left to Right): Mike Barton, Rachel Myers, Janice Smith, Colin Moss, Allison Kaptein, & Debbie Miller.
Prior to her new role, she
worked in the Nampa School District #131 for six years at various secondary schools, including East Valley Middle School,
Columbia High School, and Skyview High School. Her job titles ranged from Administrative Assistant to Bookkeeper/
Secretary. She resides with her husband and three children in Nampa.
Camp Mer -IDA -Moo is Meridian Parks & Recreation's
traditional day camp for kids ages 6-11. The camp starts
daily, at 7:30 a.m., ends at 5:30 p.m., and is non-stop fun in
between! Camp Mer -IDA -Moo was started in the summer
of 2003 and has grown by leaps and bounds. What was
once a short week-long camp is now a full summer -long day
camp, eight weeks in length, at two different sites in the
City. Each site has a capacity for fifty kids throughout the
day. In the summer of 2007, we averaged only 43 kids per
week between the two sites. This past summer, we had an
average of 62 kids per week! Parents registered their kids for
week-long "sessions". Each weekly session has a theme.
All activities, games, art projects, science projects, and the
weekly field trip relate to
the theme of the session.
Summer 2009 will bring a
few changes for Camp
Mer -IDA -Moo. With the
opening of the new
Community Center, we
will be able to make a few
necessary and exciting updates. We will continue to have
two camp sites, continue with the one location at Mary
McPherson Elementary, and open a second location at the
new Community Center. The Community Center site
located at 201 E. Idaho (formerly the Boys & Girls Club
building), will allow us to have a higher capacity for
campers and will be able to have camp for the entire
summer. The first week of camp at the Community Center
will be the first full week that kids are out of school (2009),
and the last week of camp will be the last week before school
starts. The first week of camp at Mary McPherson
Elementary School will be June 15, 2009. The last will be
the week of August 3.
The Mission of the Meridian Parks & Recreation Department is to
enhance the community's quality of life by providing well-designed
and properly maintained parks and recreational opportunities for
all citizens.
Visit onr website at:
www.meridiancity.org/parks_ree