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2014 Parks and Recreation Annual NewsletterAnnual Newsletter Welcome Steve Siddoway Director Meridian Parks and Recreation Inside... Director's Message Staff Honors, Awards & Grants Department Achievements Meridian Parks & Recreation Commission Photo Gallery Volunteers and Partnerships Looking Toward the Future Parks & Recreation By the Numbers Wow! What a year it has been. There are so many things to celebrate and to be thankful for at this "most wonderful time of the year"! We live in the premier city for families with many opportunities to do things together, from activities in our beautiful parks to recreational sports to a variety of classes and camps to lively community events that bring us all together. We have seen new park amenities open in 2014, including 8t" Street Park—with a new playground, restroom, and picnic shelter. We have a new pathway section along Five Mile Creek. We have a new restroom in Centennial Park in Downtown Meridian. We are wrapping up a major new tennis complex in Settlers Park—which we will celebrate with a Grand Opening next spring. Our recreation programs are growing and offering more opportunities to Meridian residents. And we have just finished a wonderful week of Christmas in Meridian events, including the 2nd Annual Winter Lights Parade, the Children's Winterland Festival, and the Holiday Classic Volleyball Tournament that raises funds for Meridian children in need at Christmas time! I hope that you will look for these and many more exciting stories of reasons we all have to celebrate and to be thankful this year! Finally, I want to turn our thoughts to the future of Parks & Recreation in Meridian. We are beginning a very important effort right now—the Meridian Parks & Recreation Master Plan—that will set the vision for what we want to accomplish and build together over the next decade. What is the legacy we want to leave for our children and grandchildren in the form of parks, recreation opportunities, and other amenities as our city grows? I hope you will join us, take our surveys, attend our town hall meetings — in person and online — and help us envision the future of Parks & Recreation in Meridian! Parks and Recreation Staff Director: Steve Siddoway Recreation Coordinators: Patrick Dilley Colin Moss Garrett White Parks Superintendent: Mike Barton City Arborist: Elroy Huff Parks & Pathways Manager: Jay Gibbons Marketing Coordinator: Shelly Houston Parks Maintenance Foreman: Roger Norberg Parks Maintenance Staff: Jeremy Aldrich Jeremy Anselmo Dave Cereghino Brad Day Kevin Gallivan Phillip Harris Frank Keeney 411111111 Debbie Miller Terry Whipple Dan White Recreation Staff: Ross Cipriano Brian Schreiner Administrative Assistants: Providing, fi,to ,doornommon,l, in • a timely, friendly, professional, AI i A l d a pe and solation rented manner. Rachel Myers o Congratulations to Recreation Coordinator Patric Dilley and Seasonal Worker Eric Jurgensen (below right) for both earning Meridian Way coins from Mayor De Weerd during 2014. A Patrick was recognized for his work on the City's Trunk or Treat even and Eric for his outstanding upkeep of Heroes Park. Year of Achievement The year 2014 was a year of growth and refinement for several of Meridian's parks and recreational facilities. Most notably, work was completed on the Settlers Village Square tennis court project (below left). The complex now features six full -sized tennis courts; a set of three smaller multi -use courts which will accommodate young tennis players ages 10 and under, as well as pickleball for all ages; and a championship court outfitted with larger run- out areas, higher fences, and bleachers for spectators. These courts, along with a new picnic shelter and 36 additional parking spaces, quietly opened for use in late 2014 and will be celebrated with a large grand opening event and ribbon cutting in the spring of 2015. The tennis court completion was not the only improvement in Settlers Park during 2014. Nearby, a new sign identifies the horseshoe pits as the "Don Titcomb Memorial Horseshoe Pitching Courts." Landscape improvements were made to the Meridian Youth Baseball roundabout. Improvements were made on the splash pad and a charcoal grill was installed at Shelter 1. Over at 8th Street Park — Meridian's second oldest City park, dedicated in 1985 — CDBG funding paved the way for a new restroom building (below right) and 20' x 20' picnic shelter. These, along with new playground equipment made of recycled materials and funded by a grant from the Solid Waste Advisory Committee's Community Recycling Fund, were celebrated in November with a neighborhood ribbon cutting and barbecue. A restroom building was installed in Centennial Park, thanks to CDBG funding, as well. Both restrooms are heated and will remain open for year-round use. Kleiner Park also stepped up its game this year with new tree plantings in its arboretum, improvements to its drainage system near shelter A-4, continued goose management efforts, and the addition of charcoal grills to its two largest picnic shelters. Closer to downtown, the Generations Plaza water feature received necessary upgrades, seven downtown trees that had outgrown their tree wells were replaced, and landscaping was enhanced along the split -corridor. Last but not least, a Little Free Library community book exchange box was installed in City Hall's outdoor plaza. It operates on a "take a book— return a book" basis and has been popular with readers of all ages. A similar Little Free Library is also planned for the future dog park. During the year, dedication plaques, acknowledging the mayor, council members, commissioners, and other partners responsible for the creation of each City park, were mounted in permanent locations within each park. Updated park site plans were prepared for each developed park within the City's park system. We also continued laying groundwork for the future. The City successfully acquired well rights and installed an irrigation well out at its 77 -acre property site, and some preliminary site work and habitat studies have been done on the 50 -acre future Margaret Aldape Park site along the Boise River. Most recently, the City successfully negotiated a Land/Water Conservation Fund (LWCF) land swap in the Storey Park area which will allow construction to begin on Meridian's new dog park (below) in early 2015 as soon as weather allows. Logo designs for the dog park are about to be unveiled, and a community fundraising campaign to help off -set the cost of several dog park amenities will be launched soon. Meridian Bark Park wuo reaoiee• °rr"xre�ea nmarr. M�rewe• rrrq .nhiriPN�H4! Honors,, Awards & Grants USTA Tennis Grant Award $7,500 To promote youth tennis in Meridian January 2014 Idaho Tennis Association Grant $1,000 January 2014 Tree City USA Award April 2014 (Photo below) 12 Years as a Tree City Arbor Day Grant $300 2014 AIC City Achievement Award for Park Ambassador Program kAp. TIME CITY USA y Arbor Day Foundation A Year of Achievements Pathways & Trails Connectivity in Meridian continues to improve as work continues on expanding the City's pathways and trails system. The City currently maintains 14.8 miles of multi -use pathways. Of these, 7.9 miles are within parks, 6.9 miles are in other areas, and 12 miles are maintained by others such as highway and irrigation districts. During 2014, extensive work was done on the Five Mile Creek Pathway Extension which runs from the west end of Bridgetower Subdivision to Linder Road. The design of this project was funded through an Energy Efficiency Conservation Block Grant. To help pedestrians, runners, bikers, and dog walkers find their way, directional signs were installed along several pathways. These include Segment E of the Five Mile Pathway, the Diane & Winston Moore Pathway, and the H.R. Bud Porter Pathway. Additionally, distance markers were placed at 1/10th mile intervals into the asphalt along the Bud Porter Pathway. A significant stretch of sidewalk along W. Idaho Avenue also received much-needed improvements during 2014, allowing neighborhood children a safer walk or bike ride to and from schools in the area. As part of its continuing exploration of a future Rail with Trail pathway project along the rail line, the City commissioned and completed an arterial crossing study to identify alignment options and safety solutions that might be involved with such an undertaking. Urban Forestry From park trees to downtown trees, the Meridian Parks and Recreation Department currently manages approximately 4,000 trees in our urban forest. Under the guidance of City Arborist Elroy Huff (left), the Meridian Parks and Recreation Department maintains an inventory of all trees within the City, > hosts annual Arbor Day tree plantings at local elementary schools, and E participates in Idaho Power's annual Strategic Tree Planting Initiative which gives free shade trees to local homeowners to help shade their homes during the hot summer months. On April 15, Elroy was presented with an Environmental Excellence Award by Mayor Tammy de Weerd for his leadership role in the health and future of our urban forests, streets, parks and pathways. Elroy works hard to expand the City's tree planting program. In 2014 he planted 104 new trees in parks, the golf course and schools. As a result, Meridian maintains its 'Tree City USA" status which must be applied for each year. Elroy has also worked regionally assisting with the Treasure Valley Tree Canopy Study that tracks the health of our urban forests. This is important because trees are effective at reducing both ozone and particulate matter - air quality issues that impact our Treasure Valley. By planting the right trees in the right spots, s practicing integrated pest management, } implementing correct watering principles, and supervising all pruning operations, our urban forest continues to thrive. Sports The past year was incredibly busy for our adult sports programs under the leadership of Garrett White. In all, 5,615 participants on 578 sports teams took part in our league play and tournaments. Our sports offerings during 2014 included: • Basketball — Men's and Women's • Spring Men's Basketball (New!) • Dodgeball — Open and Co -Ed • Flag Football — Men's and Co -Ed • Spring Softball — Men's and Co -Ed • Fall Softball • Volleyball — Women's and Co -Ed Additionally, we hosted a number of tournaments including Girls Fastpitch, a Red Eye Softball tournament, and our 4th Annual Holiday Classic Volleyball Tournament which raised funds to purchase Christmas gifts for the participants of Meridian's Head Start program. In all, our department raised $2,400 and was able to purchase, wrap, and present 322 gifts and books to 80 low-income children aged 3 through 5 (below). The high volume of adult and youth players wishing to take part in sports activities in Meridian has filled our indoor sports facilities and outdoor playing fields to maximum capacity, making it necessary for us to begin exploring options for additional playing fields and gym space... a process that will continue well into the new year. Classes, Camps & Activities Our diverse menu of classes, camps, and activities engaged participants of all ages and interests in pursuits designed to enrich the body, mind, and soul. In addition to our popular dance, fitness, martial arts, tennis, yoga, art, and musical theater classes, we introduced new programs including family kayaking, women's self- defense, Spanish instruction, and game programming for kids. Our spring break and summer camps kept kids (and their counselors, pictured above) occupied with activities at Siena and Prospect Elementary Schools, as well as in Chateau, Heroes, and Kleiner Parks, plus the Meridian Community Center. For the third summer, musical theater camps for youth were held at the Kleiner Park Bandshell, resulting in lively stage productions of Beauty and the Beast and Annie. We also launched a new summer reading pilot program at our camps, in partnership with the Meridian Library District. It is designed to help kids maintain their reading momentum during the summer months when school is out. While we had to say goodbye to our Recreation Coordinator Patrick Dilley in mid-December, we owe him a great deal of gratitude for the energy and innovation he brought to our recreation programs during the past several yea rs. A Year of Achievements Special Ever Meridian residents and visitors always like a good celebration, and no one puts on better local events than the Meridian Parks and Recreation Department! Under the masterful guidance of Special Event Coordinator Colin Moss, the department hosted a number of community events, which included Unplug & Be Outside Week, an Arbor Day Tree Planting, CableOne Movie Night, Gene Kleiner Day, the Barn Sour Fun Run, the Independence Day Celebration, the Community Block Party, and the many activities that combined to form the week- long Christmas in Meridian celebration. Our department also provided assistance to the Mayor's Youth Advisory Council's Teen Activities Committee who put on successful events including Ignite Youth and Trunk or Treat & Dance to the Beat. New events this year included the Kleiner Park LIVE summer concert series in the Kleiner Park Bandshell, the Fall Classic Disc Golf Tournament in Kleiner Park, and the Winter Light Fun Run which preceded the start of the Winter Lights Parade. 4 Several other events, coordinated by other organizations, took place in our parks, as well. In all, the City issued 68 Temporary Use Permits (TUPs) for events including car shows, cook -offs, charity walks, Easter egg hunts, church events, and even a kite festival and food truck rally. Promoting all these events, along with the many other activities of the Parks and Recreation Department, has gradually become a full-time job in itself. This spring, Shelly Houston, a long-time employee of the Meridian Mayor's Office, joined the Parks and Recreation Department as our Marketing Coordinator. Meridian Parks and Recreation Commission No group is more deserving of our thanks this year than the men and women who serve on the Meridian Parks and Recreation Commission. These community members, along with our City Council liaison Luke Cavener, meet monthly and offer the Mayor, City Council, and Parks and Recreation Staff valuable advice on park planning, capital improvements, policies, recreation programs, and budgeting issues. Their meetings are generally held on the second Wednesday of every month at 6:00 p.m. in the City Council Chambers at Meridian City Hall. These meetings are open to the public and agendas are available at the Parks and Recreation Office the Friday prior to each meeting. You can learn more about the Commission on the Parks and Recreation Department portion of the City of Meridian website at www.meridiancity.org/parks—rec. Pictured Left to Right: Treg Bernt, Kent Goldthorpe, Creg Steele, Matt Stoll (Commission President), Sharon Borton, William Fitzgerald, John Nesmith, and Phillip Liddell. Not pictured: Tiffany Coleman On February 12, 2014, Treg Bernt was recognized for serving as past president of the Meridian Parks and Recreation Commission. Matt Stoll served as president in 2014. Little Free Library ' Idaho Power Shade Tree Project i H INK � 4 Children's Winterland Festival Game Programming Class \ Tennis Grant Presentations are beginning the process of updating the City's Parks and Recreation Master Plan. With the assistance of national experts and our own citizens, we will assess the current state of our parks and recreation programs and facilities, determine our needs for the coming decade, and chart out a plan for achieving our vision of the future. Upon completion, we will also have concept plans for several of our future parks, including the Borup property, our 77 acres in South Meridian, and the future Margaret Aldape Park Progress will also be made in the coming year on new neighborhood parks in development. These include the new parks in the Bainbridge Subdivision and the Bellano Creek Subdivision. Our search will continue for additional gym space, as we have filled our current facilities to capacity with our adult sports programs which continue to grow in popularity. Potential partnerships with the YMCA and the Boys and Girl Club are under way, as well as other potential partnerships. Parks 9 Recreation By the Numbers in 2014 • 23 Year Round Staff • 46 Seasonal Staff • 34 +/- Independent Contractors • 240 Acres of Developed Park Land • 38 Acres of Other Landscape Maintenance • 3.0 Acres of Park Land per 1,000 population • 141 Acres of Undeveloped Park Land • 14.3 Miles of Maintained Pathways • 3,999 of Activity Guide Enrollments • 578 Sports Teams • 5,615 Sports Participants • 53 Temporary Use Permits Issued • 1,556 Picnic Shelter Reservations We will also continue to expand our pathway system, with special emphasis on segments of the Five Mile Creek Pathway. Distance sign markers, appreciated by walkers, joggers and runners, will also be added on the sidewalks connecting to the Five Mile Creek pathway. ro We also look forward to welcoming a new full- time administrative assistant to our staff, and to finding just the right person to fill our currently vacant Recreation Coordinator position. bw As always, we will continue to welcome ideas, comments, questions and suggestions from the residents we serve, and look forward to finding dynamic and innovative new ways to engage them in our parks, events, and activities as we - move into the future. Mm �— This Annual Newsletter is published by the Meridian Parks and Receation Department 33 E. Broadway Avenue Meridian, ID 83642 (2089)888-3579 www.meridiancity.org/parks_rec Editor and Primary Photographer: