August 2008

UpFront

P&R, a New Voice: Yours

As you thumb through the pages of this month’s issue of Parks & Recreation magazine, we’re hoping you’ll notice a familiar voice: yours. Well, OK, maybe not yours specifically. Rather, the voices of your colleagues in the field. Let me explain. One of the comments we’ve heard repeatedly from readers is that they would like to see us rely more heavily on the expertise and knowledge of their fellow professionals in shaping the magazine’s editorial content. This makes perfect sense, after all, as you are the ones out there making the decisions, developing the facilities, fighting for budget dollars, and delivering quality programming to your local communities. If anyone knows public parks and recreation, it’s you.

Armed with that information, we decided it was appropriate to start giving you some serious face time. We’ve set that concept into action this month with the introduction of two new columns: “SoundOff,” in which we pose a timely question to four professionals and share their feedback with you, and “How I Did It,” an examination of how ingenuity, creativity, and outside-the-box thinking contributed to the resolution of a particular situation or problem. Upon perusing these two new columns, your reaction may be the same as ours: Wow, these folks really know their stuff. Oh, and one last note: Check out our new “Views From the Park Bench” column on page 76. We think you’ll appreciate author Jay Walljasper’s argument that our local city parks are just as sexy—and far more accessible—than Yellowstone or Yosemite ever will be.

E-mail us your insights, feedback, and experiences at edit@nrpa.org.

:: In This Month's Issue ::

Aug08prpgcover_2On the Cover
How Does Your Garden Grow?
By Gretchen Needham
Try a little community involvement.

Other Features

Built Skater Tough
By Joshua Nims, J.D.
Skater-owned companies are keeping some city skateparks great.

Addressing Accessibility
By Clare Leschin-Hoar
Keep seniors and ability level in mind when building or upgrading.

Triumph Over Trauma
By Andrew Carnahan
Returning war veterans overcome stress and injury through recreation.

Safety Sans Sacrifices
By Anne-Marie Spencer
Playground equipment can be safe and fun.

COLUMNS

Perspectives: Why NRPA?
By Barbara Tulipane, CEO
NRPA's new CEO outlines the plan for her first 100 days.

Advocacy Update: Safety On
By Richard J. Dolesh
The right to bear arms extends into park territory.

Research Update: Combating the Overuse Epidemic
By Greg Bach and Adam Shilling
Injuries increase with competition.

Law Review: Fear Drives Baseball Bat Controversy
By James C. Kozlowski, J.D., Ph.D.
Should non-wood bats be banned from youth leagues?

In Every Issue

UpFront  I  P&R Contributors  I  Leave It Better  I  Playbook  I How I Did It I  Tip-Off  I FirstPerson I Sound Off I  NRPA in Action I  Product Roundup  I  Picture This  I Index to Advertisers  I  Views From the Park Bench

Coming Up in Next Month's Parks & Recreation

<<We have your facility event planning ideas covered—from biking and multiple sports events to hosting a wine festival.

<<Baltimore and the 2008 NRPA Congress & Exposition is coming your way with our preview, packed with highlights of the event and the city.

<<Pigeons on your patio? Tell birds how to buzz off with our feature on controlling the winged pests.